The GMB trade union has expressed concern over the impact of spending cuts, claiming more than 100,000 public sector jobs have been declared at risk by local authorities in the north-west of England.

According to the Guardian, research from the organisation indicated that 113,000 workers in the region have been put on notice of possible redundancy by 145 councils and emergency services, while a further 350 have not confirmed exact numbers.

"The job losses that the GMB [has] been reporting in councils across Britain are real," said general secretary Paul Kenny. "They impact on real workers and impact on the services delivered to the most vulnerable members of our society."

Unite regional officer Keith Hutson warned that co-ordinated strike action across the country could be an option and insisted that public sector employees provide "important services to the community".

Earlier this month, recruitment agency Reed announced that its job index fell from 111 in November to 104 in the following month, suggesting that employment opportunities are becoming increasingly hard to find in the UK.

Posted by Hayley Edwards