Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Acting Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the publication of new unemployment figures showing unemployment has risen by 25,000 to more than 1.85 million, said:

“The rise in unemployment for a second month in a row is worrying and shows we cannot afford to be complacent about the recovery. With productivity stagnating, David Cameron and George Osborne must take bolder action to raise jobseekers’ skill levels to get more back into work and help build the high-skilled workforce Britain needs.

“The rise in youth unemployment highlights a real danger that young people are being left behind. Ministers must urgently deliver more high-quality apprenticeships to give young people the skills they need to get a job and build a future.”

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