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date: 14 September 2011

embargo: immediate

'Terrible' jobs figures show government policies are not working

Commenting on today's unemployment figures, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said,

"These are terrible figures. They are further evidence that the recovery has been choked off by a self-defeating rush to austerity. Government policies are hurting, but they aren't working.

"Most worrying are the signs of a second wave of rising young unemployment - with the number of 18-24 year olds out of work now higher than at any point during the recession - making the government's decision to slash the support to young people through EMAs and the Future Jobs Fund look even more short-sighted and cruel.

"The public sector is shedding jobs more than twice as fast as the private sector can create new ones, and with the increasingly gloomy outlook for the economy as a whole the outlook for jobs is as bad as at any time since the height of the recession."

NOTES TO EDITORS:

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

- Congress 2011 will be held at the TUC's Congress House in central London this year. The event runs over three days from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 September. The deadline for free media accreditation has now passed. Media passes may still be processed but may to be subject to delay. ALL applications for media passes now cost £50. You can apply online by visiting www.tuc.org.uk/the_tuc/tuc-19831-f0.cfm Wi-fi will be available free of charge throughout Congress House during the conference.

- more follows -

Latest 10 biggest local authority claimant to vacancy ratios

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
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk

Press release (400 words) issued 14 Sep 2011