John Medati is coming to terms with being laid off for the third time this year. The 41-year-old tiler from Irlam, Salford, lost his most recent job, with a building company, two weeks ago. After picking himself up twice already in the past 11 months, Mr Medati is “not optimistic” about getting another job. “I hope I’m wrong, but when you turn the television on . . .

“There’s not a chance. I went to the Jobcentre today to sign on.

All the jobs are minimum wage, but I picked out five, like packing in a factory or reading meters for the gas company. Sixty people had applied for one and forty-four for another.” Before this year, Mr Medati was last in a job centre almost two decades ago.

He was first laid off in January after 5½the company folded. With the help of people he knew, he was taken on in another tiling job, but on October 31 his luck ran out again.

This time, no one has any work for Mr Medati. He said: “In our neighbourhood, if you haven’t been laid off you know someone who has. It is terrible, especially with Christmas round the corner and a mortgage to pay.”

Mr Medati said: “My wife works, as a nail technician in a beauty salon, but some of her clients have had to stop coming because there is less money coming in. I can pay the mortgage for a couple of months but after that I’m not sure.”

Mr Medati has not given up looking for work, but is struggling to stay upbeat. “My kids are fantastic — they keep me going — but it’s really hard being around the house. I’ve always worked. There’s only so many times you can clean.”

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