More than one in five 16-24 year-olds unemployed

The number of unemployed people aged 16 to 24 increased by 20,000 to just below one million (979,000), representing more than one in five (21.1%) of the workforce in that age group.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'The chancellor used last month's budget to say that education is vital to the long-term prospects of the country. He is right, but sadly government policies are the polar opposite of his rhetoric and words alone will do nothing for the almost one million unemployed young people.

'The jobs market is incredibly tough at the moment and young people are suffering the most, as they typically do in difficult times. The government has to improve access to education and jobs to avoid relegating thousands of people to the fringes of society.'