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Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC said:
“It is soul-destroying to see the continued rise of people out of work in our region, month on month and quarter on quarter. The North East is easily retaining the unfortunate mantle of the region with the highest unemployment in the country, at a desperate 12%.

date: 18 January 2012

embargo: for immediate release

Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary of the Northern TUC said:

'It is soul-destroying to see the continued rise of people out of work in our region, month on month and quarter on quarter. The North East is easily retaining the unfortunate mantle of the region with the highest unemployment in the country, at a desperate 12%.

'With a total of 153,000 people unemployed, and nearly 22* job seekers per vacancy in parts of the north east, this is fast becoming a crisis that is touching each and every household and casting an enormous shadow over the region. Given today's figures it is becoming increasingly difficult to see any light at the end of a very long tunnel.

'I can't urge the Government strongly enough to abandon their reactive and failed economic policies and start implementing real and proactive solutions which must include job creation and take into account those who exist outside the 'city'.'



NOTES TO EDITORS:

- * Hartelepool has a claimant to vacancy ratio of 21.7 and is ranked 4th in the table of Top 10 unemployment blackspots in the UK.

- Northern TUC press releases www.tuc.org.uk/northern national releases www.tuc.org.uk and www.twitter.com/tucnews

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

- For TUC advice and information on the world of work www.workSMART.org.uk

Media contacts:

Kevin Rowan, Northern TUC Regional Secretary T: 0191 227 5565; M: 07766250074; E: krowan@tuc.org.uk

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