TUC: Government has only made things worse
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, commented on the latest unemployment statistics:
“Young people were hit hardest by the recession and today’s figures show they are suffering in our ‘so called recovery too’.
“Government action so far – trebling tuition fees, scrapping the EMA and vital job support – has only made things worse for young people.
“There are now fears that the government’s upcoming work programme is not up to the job of tackling mounting joblessness, with much of the wider support available through Jobcentre Plus also facing cutbacks.
“The truth is that no amount of restructuring benefits will deal with the fact that there are simply not enough jobs to go around. Without a proper growth strategy, the tragedy of mass unemployment will be with us for many years to come.
“And with the gap between average earnings and inflation now over three per cent, there is an emerging livelihood gap across the UK that threatens living the standards of everyone bar the super-rich.”
