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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