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New figures are also expected to show that the number of people out of work is at its highest level since 1998, reports the Times.
Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said the job losses demonstrated the plight faced by British families.
He said: "We should never treat these as just statistics. Each will be a very human story, and as it gets harder and harder to find new jobs, many will now be facing a huge cut in their weekly income, with benefits so low."
The gloomy news from Nielsen and the British Retail Consortium was compounded by the new data showing that consumer confidence has fallen to record lows, reports the Western Mail.
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