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TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak has responded to today’s (Tuesday) labour market data, which show ongoing challenges including falling vacancies and rising long-term youth unemployment. 

• The number of payrolled employees in August fell by 35,000 compared to July, but has risen by 165,000 on the year
• Youth unemployment rate hits 12.8 per cent, up 0.8 percentage points on the quarter
• The number of young people in long-term unemployment has increased by 30,600 (53 per cent) over the past year
• Vacancies have fallen for the last 27 months to 841,000 from their 2022 peak of 1,304,000
• Real wages are rising at an annual rate of 2.7 per cent, but are still only just at the same level they were in 2008

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 

“People need jobs they can build a decent life on. But the Conservatives left behind a toxic economic legacy with record levels of economic inactivity, vacancies in decline and millions trapped in low-paid insecure work. 

“The Budget is an opportunity to repair and rebuild after 14 years of Tory destruction. By investing in the future, we can drive growth and create more good jobs. The Employment Rights Bill will also ensure we see improvements in workers’ rights and incomes.

“But if we want to get more people back into the labour market we also need to fix our crumbling public realm, improve access to treatment and help reduce alarming rates of long-term ill health”

On rising youth unemployment, Paul added:

“We know that youth unemployment has terrible scarring effects on young people’s life chances. This is not a problem we can allow to get any worse, and today’s rise in long-term youth unemployment is particularly concerning

“The government’s youth guarantee can make a real difference and stop people from being left on the scrap heap. The sooner it is rolled out the better.

“But we also need to look at the quality of work on offer to those starting their career. Labour’s Make Work Pay agenda and its investment in green energy and industry can offer a route to the decent, well-paid jobs young people badly need.”

Editors Note’s

• Youth unemployment refers to people aged 18-24.
• TUC Budget submission: The TUC submission to the Treasury calls for the Chancellor to end the age of short-termism under the Conservatives, and to deliver an investment budget that can boost growth, revive industry and protect and create jobs. The full submission is linked to in the notes here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/labours-first-budget-must-end-britains-age-short-termism-says-tuc