Commenting on the rise in unemployment figures by more than 38,000 in the three months to June – to 2.49 million – Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:
“This is 38,000 more families forced onto the dole queues and struggling to survive in the face of rising costs.
“Young people getting their A Level results tomorrow face a bleak future. There will be many who had dreamed of going to university, but are priced out by the hike in tuition fees. They will be joining those people struggling to find work.
“The Government’s savage cuts have cut off vital opportunities in the public sector and the private sector is struggling to withstand the economic downturn.
“Requests to UNISON for support with bankruptcy have soared by 78% – because of members or their partners losing their jobs. This will only increase as more jobs disappear and vacancies go unfilled.
“The Government’s economic strategy is in tatters. They need to stop the cuts and restore hope by planning for growth.”