Low paid workers are bearing the brunt of job losses, according to new research from the TUC.
According to the union, over half of those who have claimed jobseekers' allowance in the last three years previously worked in the lowest paid groups, such as cleaners, admin workers and sales jobs.
TUC head Brendan Barber said low paid workers have paid a "particularly heavy price" since the financial crash: "With consumer confidence continuing to fall and the numbers out of work reaching levels last seen in the mid-90s, hopes of a jobs recovery any time soon are looking ever more remote.
“People are desperate to see where new jobs are going to come from. But the government’s rigid austerity plan is killing off their job prospects and stifling business growth. The Bank of England has started its plan B, it’s time for the Chancellor to catch up and change course.”
The findings come before Wednesday's unemployment figures, which are expected to show joblessness at its highest in two decades.
A Government spokesperson said their work programme would help those who have been made unemployed: "The Government has always said that recovering from a financial crisis with such a large debt overhang would be slow and choppy, but as the instability in the eurozone shows, it is vital that the Government sticks to its deficit reduction plan.
"This plan is supported by the IMF, OECD and CBI and is essential for sustainable growth, It has helped deliver record low interest rates for families, along with 500,000 private sector jobs created last year.
"Our new work programme is now up and running and offers people who have lost their jobs flexible tailored help to get back into jobs and stay there."