The biggest rise in the unemployment count for nearly two years provided further evidence today of a worsening economy.The number of people out of work rose by 38,000 to 1.64 million between February and April. The biggest rise since July 2006.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the worst-hit sectors are manufacturing and financial services, which shed 11,000 and 20,000 jobs respectively during the first three months.
In a further sign of pressure from the economic slowdown, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 9,000 last month to 819,300.
This is the fourth consecutive monthly rise - the first time that has happened for two years.
The national trend was mirrored in Shropshire as a whole, where the number of claimants rose by 28 from 4,649 to 4,677.
The biggest local rise was in South Shropshire where the claimant count rose by 30 from 257 in April to 287 last month.
In Telford & Wrekin the figure increased from 2,229 to 2,250, a rise of 21, while in Shrewsbury & Atcham it was up by nine, from 806 to 815. The number of those on Jobseeker’s Allowance also rose in North Shropshire, from 547 to 555.
However, Oswestry and Bridgnorth bucked the trend. In Oswestry there was a cut of 22, from 435 to 413 while in Bridgnorth the number fell from 375 to 357.
That was also the story in neighbouring Powys, where the number of claimants fell by 28, from 1,081 in April to 1,053 in May.
But today 30 jobs in Oswestry were hanging in the balance after staff at automotive firm SSVG were told that it was being sold by parent company Unipart. It is unclear whether the Oswestry site will cease operations as negotiations were being held with a third party.
Despite the increase in unemployment, the number of people in work increased by 76,000 in the three months to March to 29.55 million, a record high and reflecting an increase in the working age population.
There were 22.04 million people in full-time jobs, up 80,000 from the three months to January, and 7.51 million part-timers, a dip of 4,000.
By Neil Thomas
8 Comments
You know why the unemployment numbers are rising? Because people get more money from claiming, and getting housing and council tax benefits, therefore being able to buy the food they need and pay the bills, where as when you work you get taxed to the hilt, pay huge rent and council tax, pay huge household bills, fuel bills, etc.
You are better off being on the dole.
Sandra is talking utter tripe: one is not better off on unemployment benefit at all. How can one possibly pay one’s mortgage while on the dole? Sandra: how can we ever hope to build a better society when you advocate not working?
I agree Sandra, it is us the workers who suffer the most here. Not only do we have to foot all our household and dentist bills ourselves, we then have no time to work on our houses or gardens, so end up having to pay someone else to do them while we are at work, therefore ending up even poorer!! I don’t agree with the dole culture, but it is very tempting at times, especially when we see these people lazing about in their gardens drinking beer in the middle of the day (as my husband sees when he’s working hard on his delivery rounds). Maybe if the benefits system was limited so that you only had a certain amount in a lifetime, like it is in America, people may think twice about not doing all those jobs that still need to be done but they deem beneath them.
I know 6 people who have been made redundant in the past 2 months, all from different companies and that’s just in Telford alone!
It’s really starting to show that companies can’t aford to keep people on and are having to cut back.
Sorry H but if you don’t have a mortgage you are often better off not working than going out to work every day.
I had a choice when my marriage broke up to carry on working and pay child care for my baby or stay at home with him every day and have more money left over at the end of the week by claiming every benefit there was going.
I chose to work and missed a great deal of my sons early years, and we never had a car for five years nor a holiday for seven.
harold correct me if i am wrong but if you are on the social or dole, don’t social services help with mortgage payments
No they don’t Devon, as they once told someone I know when she was forced onto the dole, ‘you’re on your own there’ Whereas if she’d been renting she’d be quids in!
I am unemployed at the moment and tried to claim Job Seeker’s Allowance. I was turned down and “advised” to have my husband quit his job and sign on also in order to qualify for the benefit.
If the Job Centre is also giving this ridiculous “advice” to others, no wonder the unemployment rates are high. No wonder this country is going down the pan if people are encouraged to not work. Madness!