Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
One in 10 Midland workers on dole
Wednesday 12th August 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Jobless figures surged by another 220,000 in the three months to June, hitting the 2.44 million mark – the highest for 14 years.
The West Midlands remains the UK’s jobless blackspot, with 285,000 people out of work. This means there are more than one in 10 people out of work in the region, or 10.6 per cent, compared to the national figure of 7.8 per cent.
Today’s figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that another 9,000 people have joined the ranks of the unemployed across the West Midlands, which has been battered by the recession.
The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in the UK increased by 24,900 in July to 1.58 million – its worst level for more than 12 years.
Those numbers were mirrored across the region but with a few exceptions, noticeably in Wolverhampton, Kidderminster and the Wyre Forest and Cannock Chase.
In Dudley the claimant count was up 68 to 10,682, or 5.8 per cent of the working population, while in Sandwell it increased by 62 to 12,952, or 7.4 per cent.
In Walsall the figure was up 112 to 10,884, or 7.2 per cent, but in Wolverhampton there was a slight fall of 51 to 11,385, or 7.9 per cent of the working population.
There was also a drop in Kidderminster and the Wyre Forest of 77, down to 2,628, or 4.4 per cent, compared to a slight increase in South Staffordshire of 19, up to 2,187, or 3.4 per cent.
Stafford saw an increase of 37, up to 2,200, or 2.9 per cent, and there was also a rise in Lichfield of 57, to 2,026, or 3.5 per cent.
But Cannock Chase was one of the few fallers, with the claimant count down 48 to 3,085, or 5.1 per cent of the working population.
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I and a few of my mates were made redundant last year. We all got a pay off and a small pension which meant none of us could claim benefits, so we don’t show up in the number of people out of work.
The figures above are not a true reflection of the people unemployed because the figures above are based on the number of people unemployed AND CLAIMING BENEFIT.
Guess who introduced that system of calculation?
You got it, Thatchers Tories.
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Good point, English Exile.
But Major’s Tories also tinkered with the way unemployment figures are measured, as did Tony Blair’s Labour party after them.
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Come on my fellow jobless worthless friends there are jobs around if your bothered and don’t feel the need to live off the state. Why not go temping? It’s more money then JSA
Or you could sit around like these worthless joes whom have worked for years and now it’s because of the “credit crunch”!!!!! What a load of bull. Get a job, pay your own rent and ctax and make something of your pointless lives
Yours the hardworking people of Walsall
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The figures also don’t take into account people on New Deal, who – despite signing on – aren’t classed as unemployed.
jobless joe, I find your comments very patronising to people who are unemployed. Please don’t make sweeping generalisations, or speak on behalf of others. I’m not worthless and I don’t find your comments helpful or very informative.
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I also suggest you study something called ‘working poverty’..the West Midlands LOW PAY Unit might be able to assist you. You seem over eager to simplify this issue, using generic references..it’s not simply a case of ‘work’ solving all one’s economic and social isues. In fact that kind of attitude may have contributed to the reasons why this region is, statistically, bottom of the pecking order.
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John – I couldn’t agree more with your comments.
I have been on the useless New Deal programme (soon to be replaced with something just as pathetic and unworkable no doubt) and it was absolutely sole destroying. It’s there purely for our vacuous Government to manipulate the unemployment figures.
I agree that there are jobs still out there, unfortunately the competition is fierce. I believe there are far more people unemployed than there are job vacancies. I would love to know the REAL unemployment statistics.
As for Jobless Joe, I can only assume he must work for the civil service coming up with such crass comments. As for temping, if the Government bothered to regulate employment agencies and weed out the unscrupulous ones (those who favour cheap foreign labour), maybe there would be fewer people stuck on the dole.
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The most pain will be felt when the massively oversized public sector that Labour have gleefully built up in their core areas (North East, North West, South Wales) has to be cut back because we can no longer afford it.
In many of those areas 2 in 3 are employed by the State. That’s not going to be pretty now the country’s bust and we can no longer afford the luxury of so many non(productive) jobs.
Thanks Labour.
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WHAT A FOOL OF THE FIRST ORDER JOBLESS JOE IS. I SIMPLY COULD NOT BELEIVE WHAT THIS JOBLESS TWIT HAS WRITTEN, MOST UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK TO ESCAPE THE PITTANCE OF DOLE MONEY,SO COME ON JOE AND GET OF YOUR FAT BACKSIDE AND JOIN YOUR FELLOW UNEMPLOYED IN FINDING WORK OR DOES THAT FRIGHTEN YOU.
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It’s no surprise that the Midlands rates highest in unemployment. Has anyone ever considered that those statistics are based solely upon JobcentrePlus and it’s very poor service in those areas? I worked in Jobcentre Plus for 7 years in Wolverhampton, and let me assure you, the staff there are not interested in anything other than results. If they get someone who’s been unemployed for 2+yrs into a job, it is one of the highest achievements and goes well in their annual review. Newly unemployed jobseekers are given far less presidence, simply because the results aren’t as good. In my time there, I was in contact with other staff from Jobcentres further afield, such as Scotland and Sheffield, and their policies and procedures were far more modern and far more effective in getting EVERYONE into work. Food for thought: Bet’cha didn’t know that jobseekers who were deemed to be, “Too violent” were merely sent their signing on sheet in the mail, with a stamped addressed envelope for them to sign, and send back in in order to get their payment. Jobcentre Plus is a joke.
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