Right to Work protest at Downing Street

Activists from the Right to Work campaign are to stage a protest outside Downing Street ahead of new figures expected to show another increase in unemployment.

The group said it wanted to highlight the “scandal” of the rising jobless total, which increased by 129,000 last month to 2.62 million, the highest since 1994, while youth unemployment reached a record high of over a million.

Analysts expect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics to show another rise in unemployment for the quarter to October.

Holiday firm Thomas Cook is expected to add to the gloom on the employment front by revealing that it will close an additional 125 stores and axe hundreds of jobs amid dire trading in the UK.

A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank predicted that female unemployment is set to increase as private firms fail to create enough jobs to offset public sector cuts.

The group called on the Government to improve childcare arrangements, arguing that the high cost was preventing mothers returning to work. IPPR said the employment rate for women with children in the UK was lower than most OECD countries, ranking 19th.

Last month’s figures showed there were over a million women out of work, the highest total since 1988, with the North East and Yorkshire suffering big increases.

Nick Pearce, IPPR director, said: “It is far better for our economy to have people in work and paying taxes than at home claiming benefits. Women will return to work if we can re-start growth and give families access to free and high quality childcare.

“At a time of severe fiscal constraint, it is vital for Britain to focus resources where they will make the most difference – in helping families with the cost of living and strengthening the public finances over the long term.”‘