EMPLOYMENT: Growth in temporary jobs

The number of temporary workers unable to find permanent jobs has grown by a half since the 1992 General Election, according to an analysis of official figures by the House of Commons library. The research, supplied to Peter Hain, Labour's employment spokesman, shows there are now more than half a million "reluctant" temporary workers.

The data reveals that temporary employment as a whole has risen by a third, to 1,586,000, with increases of more than a half in East Anglia and London. The analysis also reveals that half of all claimants who leave the unemployment register for a job are back on the dole within a year. Barrie Clement