‘Huge rise’ in long-term youth unemployment

The TUC said the number of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work had soared by 874 per cent, from 6,260 to 60,955 since 2000, going up by 264 per cent in the last year alone.Long-term unemployment across all age groups increased by 50 per cent.

The study, ahead of new unemployment figures today, also showed that youth unemployment had risen by 78 per cent over the same period.

Wages for young people have fallen in real terms since the year 2000, while they have increased for other groups, said the TUC.

Workers aged between 18 and 21 have seen their pay rise by 35 per cent, around three per cent less than the rise in inflation, compared with average wage increases of 41 per cent, said the report.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Our young people are already facing a toxic combination of increasing unemployment, high tuition fees and inadequate government support for those people out of work. Now we discover they are at a hugely increased risk of being long-term unemployed and are losing out in the wage stakes as well.”

But Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: “The TUC’s use of statistics is just plain wrong.”