Commenting on the unemployment figures, which show that long-term unemployment has reached a 17-year high, Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:
“Small relief in the unemployment figures will be no comfort to those struggling with the misery of long-term unemployment. Every job lost is a personal tragedy and the government has to do more to tackle the persistent jobs crisis. Stopping the slew of job losses from the public sector and giving Britain a pay rise to get people spending is what our economy needs to recover.”