On Friday the Office for National Statistics announced economic output had shrunk by 5.6% in the 12 months prior to mid-2009 and gross domestic product (GDP) had contracted by 0.8% in the second quarter of this year.
Commenting on the findings, Brendan Barber [pictured] general secretary of the TUC, said: "There are no green shoots here. Unemployment is growing and a recovery that brings hope to the jobless looks ever more distant.
"Immediate big spending cuts are the last thing we need. They could tip the economy into an ever-deeper downturn and make the deficit worse when the tax take falls and spending on unemployment goes up."
He added: "With consumers and companies failing to spend, the public sector must fill the gap."
No green shoots in sight in latest economic output statistics, says TUC
Economic recovery, bringing hope to the jobless, is looking "ever more distant" according to the TUC.
