Commenting on the unemployment figures released today, Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:
“These figures appear to show some relief after years of economic stagnation, but it is just an illusion. Real wages are continuing to fall, and youth unemployment is still rising. It is telling that more than 4 million people are now classed as self employed. If there are enough jobs to go around, why did 1,700 people apply for just 8 jobs at Costa Coffee?
“We will not experience a real recovery until people have more money to spend. For this to happen, the government has to take action to boost the number of full time, fairly paid jobs that are available. The Coalition’s failure to act makes the chances of a catastrophic triple-dip recession a near-certainty.”