Lowest paid hit hardest by recession

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 07:47

Most job losses caused by the recession are hitting the lowest paid, unions claimed today.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) reports the largest rise in people claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) in the last 12 months is from retail - with 76,230 shop workers now on the dole.

In total 700,065 more people are now claiming JSA than a year ago.

Retail is followed by goods handling and storage workers, with an annual increase of 47,420 claimants, and general office assistants with an increase of 46,330.

While the unemployment rate for workers in 'elementary occupations' is 12.7 per cent, and has risen 3.6 percentage points on the year, the rate for those in professional occupations is 2.3 per cent, and has risen by 1.2 percentage points.

Low-paid workers are also more likely to spend longer on JSA than other groups.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "These figures explode the myth that this is some kind of classless - or even middle-class - recession.

"It's the low skilled and the low-paid who are bearing the brunt of this recession. And they are certainly not seeing any recovery."

He added the government must now focus on tackling joblessness and increase JSA.

"It's clear many people are spending a long time on the dole, and £64.30 a week is not enough to get through the week," he said.

"Increasing JSA by as little as £10 a week would make a real difference to millions of families."

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