Prime Minister Gordon Brown is hosting talks with business and union leaders about measures aimed at safeguarding jobs during the economic downturn.

Mr Brown is expected to open the jobs summit at the Science Museum in London with a warning that a deeper recession would mean whole communities being written off and lasting damage to the economy.

Before Christmas the number of people out of work stood at 1.8 million and some economists believe it could approach three million by 2010.

To combat that, Mr Brown will set out plans to prepare Britain for growth in sectors such as environmental technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and education.

He is expected to warn that a failure to act now will mean a deeper and longer recession.

Plans to help the long-term unemployed may include paying employers up to £2,500 for every person they train.

The Tories say the government’s job package “does not go far enough”.