Unite, Britain's biggest union, has warned the government not to 'crow' over the latest unemployment figures as the country still faces an employment crisis.
Unemployment has fallen by 14,000 in the final quarter of last year to 2.5 million according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But Youth unemployment, counting 16 to 24-year-olds, rose by 11,000 to 974,000, the biggest increase since the start of last year.
Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said:
"When 1700 people apply for just eight jobs in a Nottingham coffee shop, then there is something seriously wrong with employment in this country.
"Of course it is good news that more people are reportedly in work but the number of young unemployed people just keeps climbing, while wages fall and growing numbers of people need two jobs just to get by.
"This is no time for government to crow. The shocking waste of our young people's talents, underemployment, poverty pay and bogus self employment are all indicators of an employment crisis, not a recovery."