Commenting on the latest unemployment figures, published Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
‘Today’s figures show the economy is still on a knife edge. While the overall quarterly figures are encouraging, the data suggests there has been sharper rise in unemployment more recently. This shows how vital it is the Government continues to dedicate significant resources to tackling joblessness.
‘After falling for two successive months, today’s rise in youth unemployment is disappointing. The UK is nowhere near the levels reached in the 1980s, when over two million young people were still out of work after the recession ended, but the Government must continue to invest to prevent a second wave of rising unemployment amongst 16-24 year olds.
‘Government investment to help people off the dole and stimulate the economy has ensured that joblessness has not spiralled out of control in the way it did in earlier recessions. But this is no time for complacency, especially while many - particularly the young - still remain out of work.
‘It would be madness to cut the resources dedicated to helping the unemployed, as some are suggesting, when the medicine is only just beginning to make an impact.’
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