The Labour parliamentary candidate for Worcester has responded to the latest employment figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Councillor Lynn Denham has said the figures, which show employment at record highs across the country, do not tell the whole story.

She said: "The latest ONS figures on employment and job vacancies are always of interest. However, the headline data is not able to give the real picture of people's lives in Worcester.

"I know that too many people are in poorly paid, insecure jobs. With rising prices, this means even full time work leaves families struggling to make ends meet. Zero hours contracts give no certainty about how to pay the bills or plan for the future.

"I was shocked to hear recently that wages for an apprentice can be as low as £3.70 per hour. This is not enough for anyone to live on. Apprentices who are aged 16-20 can't even afford to pay the fares to get to work or college. What is more, since apprentices are counted as employees, their family loses their child benefit.

"This doesn't happen if the young person stays in full time education or training. We should not be putting obstacles in the way of young people gaining the skills for a decent career.

"We need an economy which works in the interest of the many not the few, where employers pay the Real Living Wage."

Yesterday, MP for Worcester Robin Walker hailed the new employment figures as proof people are in jobs in Worcester, despite figures showing unemployment in the region has risen by over five per cent.