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The number of men doing part-time jobs because they can't find full-time work has more than doubled over the last four years, according to a new TUC analysis of official figures published today (Tuesday).

date: 14 May 2012

embargo: 00.01hrs Tuesday 15 May 2012

The number of men doing part-time jobs because they can't find full-time work has more than doubled over the last four years, according to a new TUC analysis of official figures published today (Tuesday).

The TUC findings - published ahead of the latest unemployment figures tomorrow - show that the number of men doing part-time jobs because they can't find full-time work more than doubled from 293,000 in December 2007 to nearly 600,000 in December 2011.

The number of under-employed women has increased by 74 per cent to 780,000, bringing the total number of people in involuntary part-time work to a record high of 1.38 million.

The proportion of women working part-time that don't want a full-time job, often because of family and caring responsibilities, has been falling. This shows that the recent rise in part-time employment has mainly come about through necessity rather than choice, says the TUC.

People living in the East of England have experienced the sharpest increase in under-employment over the last four years, with the number of men trapped in part-time jobs more than trebling to reach 58,385. The North East, Northern Ireland and London have also experienced sharp increases in involuntary part-time work.

The number of women trapped in involuntary part-time work has more than doubled in Northern Ireland and London since December 2007.

The TUC analysis suggests that there is a link between rising under-employment and rising overall unemployment, with the North East and Northern Ireland struggling on both measures.

The findings come ahead of the latest unemployment figures published tomorrow (Wednesday), which the TUC hopes will show another fall in unemployment.

However while overall unemployment fell last month, so too did the number of people in full-time work. While part-time or temporary jobs may be better than no work at all, people are having to make huge salary sacrifices, reduce their hours and trade down their skills to stay in work. This is bad news for family finances and the UK's overall economic performance as people are not working as much and as productively as could do, says the TUC.

Creating more well-paid, skilled, full-time jobs is the only way to secure a sustainable recovery that works for everyone, the TUC argues, as it will raise people's incomes and help them to work at their potential again.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Last month's fall in unemployment was a welcome surprise. No-one should be under any illusion however that the jobs crisis is over.

'Virtually all employment growth is coming from part-time and temporary jobs but most of the people taking them want and need permanent, full-time work.

'Any job may be better than no job at all but people are having to make huge salary sacrifices to stay working. This is bad news for family finances and it is holding back our economy.

'Any hope of an economic recovery that benefits everyone rests on the growth of well-paid, skilled, full-time jobs. It is the only way for people to increase their incomes and get back to working to the best of their ability.

'Proper jobs growth, rather than self-defeating austerity and making work even more insecure by attacking basic employment rights, must be the government's top priority.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Number of people doing part-time work because couldn't find full-time jobs, Q4 2011

Region

Male

Female

Total

North East

31,237

34,056

65,293

North West

62179

90118

152,297

Yorkshire and Humberside

53,287

64,603

117,890

East Midlands

46,343

59,424

105,767

West Midlands

57,141

74,949

132,090

Eastern

58,385

67,548

125,933

London

102,485

96,124

198,609

South East

59,058

81,990

141,048

South West

40,778

58,593

99,371

Wales

28,169

50,240

78,409

Scotland

44,124

76,035

120,159

Northern Ireland

14,521

24,246

38,767

Total

597,707

777,926

1,375,633

Increases in involuntary part-time work, Q4 2007-Q4 2011

Region

Male

Female

Total

North East

18,076

137%

14,809

77%

32,885

101%

North West

24,544

65%

35,460

65%

60,004

65%

Yorkshire and Humberside

27,582

107%

28,797

80%

56,379

92%

East Midlands

27,464

145%

19,034

47%

46,498

78%

West Midlands

31,240

121%

32,085

75%

63,325

92%

Eastern

45,029

337%

32,222

91%

77,251

159%

London

47,442

86%

51,362

115%

98,804

99%

South East

24,179

69%

31,571

63%

55,750

65%

South West

17,783

77%

18,823

47%

36,606

58%

Wales

11,515

69%

23,228

86%

34,743

80%

Scotland

22,986

109%

29,491

63%

52,477

78%

Northern Ireland

6,644

84%

13,582

127%

20,226

109%

Total

304,484

104%

330,464

74%

634,948

86%

Source: Quarterly Labour Force Survey

- The full data is available at http://bit.ly/K7JCUc

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

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

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