The government has announced plans to pay employers up to £2,500 for every unemployed person they recruit and train.

The move is part of the government’s plan to protect jobs during the recession and the measures were announced following a job summit giving advice on how to deal with increasing unemployment.

Prime minister Gordon Brown, said: “We will do everything we can to prevent the global recession turning into a global depression, prevent short-term unemployment turning into long- term unemployment and to prevent people losing their jobs meaning losing their homes.

“That’s why we say invest, not cut, and that doing nothing doesn’t help. It hurts more today and, worse still, it harms us for the future.

"My message is simple – we won’t give up on you but in turn you must not give up on work, on skills, and on training.”

Other incentives have also been unveiled by the Department of Work and Pensions and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which has pledged to invest £500 million over two years to help those who have been unemployed for more than six months.

Work and Pensions minister James Purnell said: “There are still more than half a million jobs available and employers are still recruiting – we will do everything we can to get people into those jobs.

“The £500 million pounds announced today will be used to guarantee extra support to everyone who reaches six months’ unemployment – we are determined to provide real help to people in these tough times.”