The number of people working part-time because they cannot find a full-time job has risen to 132,000 in the West Midlands, according to new research.
Researchers for the TUC say the number of people working shorter hours because a full-time role cannot be found has more than doubled in the last four years.
It said almost 600,000 men were working part-time in December while looking for full-time positions, compared to 293,000 at the end of 2007.
Latest official figures have shown that 1.4 million workers and self-employed people work part-time because they cannot find full-time employment, the highest figure since records began in 1992.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Last month’s fall in unemployment was a welcome surprise. No-one should be under any illusion however that the jobs crisis is over.
“Virtually all employment growth is coming from part-time and temporary jobs but most of the people taking them want and need permanent, full-time work.
“Any job may be better than no job at all but people are having to make huge salary sacrifices to stay working. This is bad news for family finances and it is holding back our economy.
“Any hope of an economic recovery that benefits everyone rests on the growth of well-paid, skilled, full-time jobs. It is the only way for people to increase their incomes and get back to working to the best of their ability.
“Proper jobs growth, rather than self-defeating austerity and making work even more insecure by attacking basic employment rights, must be the Government’s top priority.”
While the West Midlands has suffered a rise in the number of people forced into part-time work, the figure is lower than in London (198,000), the North West (152,000) and the South East (141,000).
