“A fall in the jobless figures hides the surge of people who have lost hope and resigned themselves to long-term unemployment,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary.
Commenting on today’s unemployment figures, Steve Webb said:
“Today’s figures show that the number of people in work has actually fallen. The sad story is that people are giving up on looking for work instead of finding jobs.
“A fall in the jobless figures hides the surge of people who have lost hope and resigned themselves to long-term unemployment.
“Ministers cannot afford to gloat. It’s especially important to support those who have been out of work for a long time. They need extra help to get back into work and avoid a life on benefits, the fate which so many faced under the Tories as a result of the last recession.”

