Underemployment crisis shows fragility of UK jobs market, says TUC

date: 28 November 2012

embargo: For immediate release

Commenting on new official figures published today (Wednesday) which show that over three million people are under-employed across the UK, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Around two and half million across the UK are currently out of work. But this figure only tells half the story.

'Taking any job available, even if it meant lower pay and fewer hours, was a pragmatic response to the recession. The fact that the number of under-employed people continues to grow shows just how weak our recovery is, and how fragile the labour market remains.

'Being under-employed carries a huge pay penalty that puts a real strain on people's finances.

'Long periods of under-employment can cause longer-term career damage, which is particularly worrying for the one in five young people currently trapped in it.

'We desperately need proper investment in high quality jobs so that full-time work is available for those who want it. This is the only way to secure a sustainable economic recovery.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Recent TUC research on under-employment can be found at http://bit.ly/N82hoD

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Alex Rossiter T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07887 572130 E: arossiter@tuc.org.uk