Public and Commercial Services Union
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More evidence of failing economy one week before budget
"One week before chancellor George Osborne's budget, this further rise in unemployment shows yet again that austerity isn't working and the government is doing the complete opposite of what our economy needs.
"Instead of cutting jobs, the government should invest to create long-term, stable employment and training, and clamp down on the wealthy tax dodgers who deprive our public finances of tens of billions of pounds a year.
"More people out of work means lower tax revenues and higher welfare costs, which means the chancellor is borrowing more for failure."
Key facts from the official figures
- Unemployment is up again, by 28,000 in the last three months to 2.67 million. The number of job vacancies is 473,000 - 20,000 lower than a year earlier.
- Youth unemployment (16 to 24-year-olds) is up another 0.4% in the last quarter to 22.5%.
- Unemployment among 16 to 17-year-olds hits a high of 39.4%, and for 18 to 24-year-olds it breaks 20% for the first time ever at 20.2%.
- In the last year public sector employment is down by 270,000.
- The wider measure of unemployment - including part-time workers wanting a full-time post, and temporary staff wanting permanent work - is now 6.35 million.
- There has been a rise of more than 160,000 in people claiming jobseekers allowance in the last year. That alone is costing an extra £0.5 billion a year, before the lost tax revenue is factored in.
The union will be protesting opposite Downing Street on budget day Wednesday 21 March, between 11.30am and 1.30pm.
On the same day UK Uncut is also planning to recreate the Tory's famous 'Labour isn't Working' poster with a mock dole queue in Whitehall under the banner Austerity isn't Working.
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