Commenting on the small drop in unemployment, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:
“Any fall in unemployment is welcome but these figures must be seen for what they really are. Underemployment is rife. In the last three months the number of people working part-time because they could not find full-time employment has risen by 24,000 – the highest figure since records began.
“With 1.46 million people working part-time because they cannot find a full-time job, and youth unemployment standing at 21%, these are not statistics to be proud of. Part-time work means part-time wages and this is not a good omen for getting the economy back on its feet.”
ends