Government must remain “laser focused” on growth mission to reverse years of Tory stagnation

Responding to today’s (Tuesday) labour market data showing payrolled employees falling by 106,000 in the year to April 2025 and youth unemployment at 12.8%, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:   

“Today’s figures show the long-lasting impact of years of stagnation.  

“A stronger economy will secure more jobs. The government must remain laser-focused on delivering its growth mission.  

“Jobs must be at the heart of the forthcoming industrial strategy, and public investment should continue to rise.  

“New training opportunities and career starts for young people who are not earning or learning also need to be an urgent priority, particularly to protect those at risk of long-term worklessness.” 

Commenting on the latest zero-hours stats, which show a small rise to 1.17 million workers employed on a zero-hours contract, Paul added: 

“There are still far too many people trapped on zero-hours contracts, unsure of how much they’ll make from one week to the next. 

“Parliamentarians must press on with delivering the Employment Rights Bill and giving workers the job security they desperately need.”