Britain is fast becoming a nation of part-time workers with only one in 40 new jobs created since the recession being full time, shocking new research published today shows.

As official employment figures are expected to show Britain’s employment levels improving, the TUC study reveals that there are a staggering 1.3 million low-paid part-time workers in the country desperate for full-time work.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures will no doubt be exploited for PR spin by the Tory-led coalition government.

But the TUC says that only one in 40 new jobs created since the start of the recession in 2008 have been full-time, 24 in 40 self-employed and 26 in 40 part-time.

The trade union organisation also points out that the soaring number of part-timers is equivalent to a shortfall of 669,000 full-time employees.

Part-time jobs now make up 38 per cent of the workforce, a rise of 2 per cent.

The TUC says that while new employment figures are expected to show an overall increase in employment, they are not expected to substantially reverse the reduced share for full-time employee jobs in the labour market.

Despite recent economic growth the number of part-time employees who say they want full-time hours is still twice what it was before the recession at 1.3 million people, said the TUC.

The group, with 54 affiliated unions representing almost six million workers, believes that the rise in self-employment is partly a result of those forced into false self-employment — an exploitation of workers used by some companies to evade taxes and avoid respecting employment rights and entitlements such as holiday pay, sick pay and pensions.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “While more people are in work there are still far too few full-time employee jobs for everyone who wants one. It means many working families are on substantially lower incomes as they can only find reduced hours jobs or low-paid self-employment.

“The chancellor has said he wants full employment, but that should mean full-time jobs for everyone who wants them. At the moment the economy is still not creating enough full-time employee jobs to meet demand.”

And the GMB union yesterday said that ONS stats to date show that the 898,000 jobs across Britain have gone since the 2010 general election.

The union warns that 26 councils, which have confirmed their budget cuts for 2015-16, are planning to axe another 20,794 jobs.

But this figure is expected to be the tip of the iceberg as other councils have yet to announce their cuts.

GMB national secretary Brian Strutton said: “Unsustainable job losses mean it is impossible to provide even statutory minimum services in many local councils. This is bad for local communities and the economy as a whole.”

Labour market economist Roger Seifert, of Wolverhampton Business School, told the Star that while the TUC’s findings are a tragedy for individuals who are struggling in part-time jobs, it also shows a chronic lack of investment in training, skills and infrastructure as well as in the public sector.

He called on Labour leader Ed Miliband and his party to commit to restoration of investment in public services, training, apprenticeships and infrastructure.