Unemployment figures show we risk a lost generation says Steve Webb

"The Government needs to look urgently at the gaps in the safety net to make sure that people who are out of work are getting the support that they need to see them through this difficult period."

Commenting on today's figures which reveal that unemployment has soared to around 2.44m - the highest figure since 1995, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said:

"For many people who've never experienced unemployment before, Gordon Brown's rhetoric about getting people back to work will feel like cold comfort.

"The widening gap between the number of unemployed people and the number of people claiming benefits shows vulnerable people aren't getting the help they need.

"The Government needs to look urgently at the gaps in the safety net to make sure that people who are out of work are getting the support that they need to see them through this difficult period.

"Unemployment assistance needs to be more personalised and JobCentre staff need to be given the resources necessary to help people get back on their feet quickly.

"Young people should be getting intensive support as soon as they sign on instead of having to wait a year for a guarantee of a job or training place. With vacancies at a record low, it is vital that we prevent today's school and university leavers from becoming a lost generation of long-term unemployed."rt more money to the front line rather than to bureaucrats."