Britain's still not working
UNEMPLOYMENT IS UP 175% IN SOME TOWNS
UNEMPLOYMENT has soared in towns across the UK by up to 175 per cent in just a year.
Our region-by-region map, below, shows the areas suffering most in the recession. Worst hit is SWINDON, Wilts, where nearly THREE TIMES as many people are now jobless than in August 2008.
The shocking statistics came just days before new figures to be released on Wednesday will reveal the number out of work has hit 2.5million.
A report by the International Labour Organisation is expected to show unemployment has soared by 250,000 in just three months - 2,700 a day. The picture will get even worse soon when tens of thousands of jobless school and university leavers are added in.
These figures are said to be a more accurate than government statistics because they include those seeking work but not claiming benefits as well as those on the dole.
In blackspot Swindon 7,000 adults are now claiming Jobseekers' Allowance compared to just over 2,500 last year. The rise is nearly FOUR TIMES the UK average of 46 per cent, mainly due to car giant Honda axing 1,300 jobs in June.
Things are almost as bad in TAMWORTH, Staffs, where unemployment has climbed by 172 per cent. In REDDITCH, Worcs, it is up by 150 per cent, in CORBY, Northants, 117 per cent, and in LIMAVADY, Northern Ireland, 106 per cent. WALSALL, West Mids, rose 89 per cent, MERTHYR TYDFIL, Wales, 82 per cent, SANDWELL, West Mids, 76 per cent, BLAENAU, Wales, 70 per cent, and HULL, Yorks, 65 per cent. The worst hit overall region in the UK is SCOTLAND, where those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance rose by 68 per cent. In England, the worst regional rise is the WEST MIDLANDS, up 66 per cent.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "With school and college leavers soon starting to look for work, our unemployment crisis will get even bigger."
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This article has 6 comments
The world is changing, and people have to change with it. Manufacturing has gone to places where it is more price competitive to make a product. Wages go to the lowest bidder, and that usually would be an immigrant who is getting more money than back at home.
Supply and demand figure in as well.
It would be better for the government to promote training programs for jobs that the country requires. Skilled construction work jobs are begging to be taken, and many companies need to import workers from other countries to fill their needs.
Why not train young people to fill these jobs?
Why not encourage investment into businesses in the UK? The old ways do not work anymore. Employment needs to evolve.
By John Brentey. Posted August 11 2009 at 9:15 AM.
Have you ever tried ringing the Job Centres?
You seem to be in a queue forever listening to Vivalldi how about this why don't they employ people to answer the phones then maybe our phone bills wont be quite so high.
By Lorna Wanstall. Posted August 9 2009 at 12:03 PM.
What did they expect when the EU entitled a massive wave of immigration into this country and brought in people who are legitimately allowed to claim benefits and social housing?
I do not intend any offence to those individual people but stating the obvious is being labelled as racism these days when it isn't. It's just logical and the government and ministers are burying their heads in the sand. What happened to these imaginary jobs that 'no-one wanted to do'? I never remember a time when no English people worked in supermarkets, factories, bars, cafes? I have done all those jobs personally myself. And yet now those jobs are taken by young immigrant labour and we are demonising the youth of today by calling them angry, useless, layabouts when the pure fact of the matter is that a 17 year old lad can't even get a job in McDonalds because a 25 year old Polish girl with a degree in food technology is happy to walk around mopping the floor every 2 minutes and work overtime for the bare minimum wage.
By Real. Posted August 9 2009 at 12:14 PM.
The government's dole figures are very dodgy, they only count the number of people "signing on". If you're unemployed but have £16,000 or more in savings/pension you're not allowed to get dole or benefits of any kind.
This dodge should not be allowed to happen as EVERY one has paid tax so EVERY one should be allowed to claim dole until they get a job.
But to cut down the dole figures, dole office bodge the figures. I know people who have complained about it but no one listened and no one cared.
When you're in work the goverment LOVE to take your money in tax but when you're unemployed they use what ever under handed methods and tactics to stop you from getting benefits (which you already paid for when you was in work).
The real unemployment figures are close to 3 million or more, but there isn't any way of verifying this.
By harry5. Posted August 9 2009 at 9:46 AM.
Unemployment is bad but I've heard from a lot of friends that more and more recruitment agencies and a number of employers are discriminating against them because they are unemployed.
They do this by either ignoring their applications or by blaming them for being out of work and due to this they don't offer them interviews for jobs they have the skills and experience for.
But when they tell the dole office or when they write letters to Gordon Brown about it, the government are do nothing to stop this discrimation.
If no one will offer you an interview because you're unemployed how can you get a job ?
By harry5. Posted August 9 2009 at 1:07 AM.
We used to lead the world in quality manufacturing. Once 'Made In Britain' was a priceless label, we need industry again. Our lifestyle changes have been for the worse, we have removed hope from a generation and this needs to be addressed. We need to re-instate the police by removing the human rights act, parts of the police and criminal evidence act - and making law breaking serious in all aspects. Respect needs to be in place, respect can be fast tracked by re-instating national service. This government is stale and sterile and needs to be replaced by a lot more than spin and statistics. The banks have to be nationalised and returned to institutional status. If we have less than a content population we will face total anarchy, the continued breakdowns of societies nationwide will increase to frightening proportions unless we turn the tides that swamp us all. Right now there is no enthusiasm to employ and widespread doubts about tomorrow; is this the progress we once assumed would be for the better and common good?
By robert. Posted August 9 2009 at 12:21 AM.