date: 17 September 2008

embargo: For immediate release

TUC reaction to unemployment figures

Responding to today's employment figures, which show that unemployment rose by 81,000 to 1.72 million between May and July 2008, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Today's figures show that unemployment is starting to accelerate and it now looks very likely that total unemployment will reach two million during 2009. It is more important than ever that we have a co-ordinated economic response to the downturn that puts more money into the pockets of middle and low income families.

'At the same time the Bank of England must play its part. It is clear that deflation is a much more pressing threat than inflation, and interest rates should be cut.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The latest labour market statistics are available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at www.statistics.gov.uk.

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

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Contacts:

Media enquiries:

Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk

Press release (200 words) issued 17 Sep 2008