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Responding to the latest unemployment figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
Title

date: 16 May 2012

embargo: For immediate release

Responding to the latest unemployment figures published today (Wednesday) by the Office for National Statistics, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Today's figures are mixed, with the welcome fall in unemployment

driven entirely by part-time jobs.

'However the collapse in wages is terrible news for people in work and threatens our chances of economic recovery.

'The number of under-employed people, who are taking part-time and temporary jobs for a lack of permanent full-time work, has hit two million for the first time ever.

'The falling number of full-time jobs and six per cent fall in real wages over the last two years means that people are having to make huge salary sacrifices and put their careers on hold just to stay in work.

'People's incomes and job security today are barely any better than they were at the height of the financial crash. Unless governments act together and stop our austerity misery spiral, the UK's economic depression will continue for far longer than feared.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Top 10 employment blackspots, April 2012

Local authority

Region

Total claimants

Vacancies

Ratio

Clackmannanshire

Scotland

1,868

35

53.4

Haringey

London

10,254

429

23.9

Blaenau Gwent

Wales

3,442

169

20.4

Lewisham

London

10,691

588

18.2

North Ayrshire

Scotland

5,555

313

17.7

Lambeth

London

12,136

758

16.0

Caerphilly

Wales

6,127

389

15.8

South Tyneside

North East

7,083

456

15.5

Kingston upon Hull

Yorkshire and Humber

15,143

1,031

14.7

Medway

South East

7,410

506

14.6

Source: nomisweb

- The claimant to vacancy ratio for local authorities across Great Britain is available at http://bit.ly/JiPiJl

- The latest labour market statistics are available at http://bit.ly/Kw0I0R

- Further analysis of the labour market figures is available at www.touchstoneblog.org.uk

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

Contacts:

Media enquiries:

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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