UK
businesses, unions and the government need to work together to slow the rising tide of unemployment, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has advised.
The trade union organisation has predicted a sharp rise in the number of people unemployed for over a year from its current level of around 400,000 to 700,000 by the end of 2009.
The TUC’s prediction comes following the release of government figures which show that the number of people out of work in the UK rose by 81,000 between May and July this year. This means there are currently around 1.72 million unemployed people in the UK.
The TUC’s general secretary Brendan Barber said that the figures could be worse. “Employment levels have remained high despite the recent economic turbulence and are nowhere near the dark days of 1992, when nearly three million people were unemployed.”
“However the TUC is concerned that unemployment has been sneaking up in the last few months and it’s up to unions, employers and the government to halt and reverse this trend as soon as possible.”
Barber also called on the UK government to rethink its latest welfare reforms which are due to start to take place next month.
“With unemployment rising, people are looking to the government for a response and economic measures will be far more welcome rather than yet another round of welfare reforms,” he said.
Yet Stephen Timms, minister for employment remains upbeat. “Like other countries, the UK is dealing with global economic challenges and unemployment rose last month. But the labour market remains resilient,” he asserted.
© Crimson Business Ltd.