Around one in 10 Britons are wary that the current economic slowdown could lead them to lose their job within the next 12 months, a new study has found.

Research carried out by the TUC found that this pessimism is most pronounced in Scotland, where around 13% of workers fear for their jobs, while those in London and the east of England are the most positive that the downturn won't effect their employment situation.

Such trepidation is partly supported by the latest figures on unemployment from the Office for National Statistics, which show that the number of people not working grew by 60,000 to almost 1.7 million over the three-month period to the end of June.

Commenting on the study's findings TUC general secretary Brendan Barber stated: "These poll findings show just how many people are getting worried about losing their job in the current economic slowdown," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.

"Of course this does not mean that unemployment will rise by anything like three million, but it does show just how jittery people have become about the economy and their own job."