The TUC has condemned the current system for counting unemployment statistics, claiming the data measured does not reflect the true economic situation.
Joblessness has now reached its highest level since records began in 1993, according to the TUC’s estimates. True unemployment figures would reach 6.3m if a different scale was used to calculate the numbers, the group said.
Using the American method of calculation – which includes six measures of joblessness that incorporate long-term unemployment, recent job losses, redundancies and under-employment, such as working part-time because full-time work is unavailable – instead of the UK system which has only two common measures of joblessness would provide more accurate results, the TUC said.
The present UK method shows unemployment at 2.68m and an unemployment benefit claimant count of 1.6m.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “The headline unemployment figures are bad enough, but the true scale of joblessness is even worse. Over six million people are either out of work or under-employed. Tackling this crisis should be the Government’s number one priority.”
Mr Barber said that the job crisis is not confined to those without jobs but that, due to a lack of full-time employment, almost 2m people are forced to take low paid and insecure work, putting a big strain on family budgets.
“Unless we get people back into decent jobs and get wages growing in line with prices again we will not secure a sustainable economic recovery nor get the deficit down.”