1,200 fewer Plymouth people claim Jobseeker's Allowance
MORE than 1,200 people in Plymouth have stopped claiming Jobseeker's Allowance since last year's peak.
The high point came in February 2012, when there were 7,030 claimants – 1,260 more than were registered in December.
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The city's figure now stands at 5,787, 0.3per cent below the national rate of 3.7per cent.
The number of people claiming the unemployment benefit has fallen by 610 since December 2011.
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Unemployment is still hitting the young hardest – though less badly than in some parts of the country.
In December last year 1,850 (5.6per cent) of those aged 18-24 were out of work and claiming JSA. Between December 2011 and December 2012 the number of 18-24-year-olds claiming the benefit fell by 395.
There was a big rise to a peak last February of 2,485, followed by a steady fall through most of 2012. The number of ESA and incapacity benefit claimants fell from 14,010 to 13,950 between November 2011 and February 2012. The city's working-age population stands at 169,700. With eight per cent of them claiming ESA and incapacity benefit, Plymouth is much worse off than the national figure of 6.4per cent.
The number of lone parents this month was 2,560, unchanged from November 2011 but substantially lower than the peak of 4,620 in 1999.
The average gross weekly wage in the city was £479.40 for full-time workers. There was a big difference between the sexes, with men on £529.40 and women on £430.10.
Hourly-paid workers earned £12.55 an hour (£13.60 for men and £11.64 for women).
Plymouth job-hunters faced a tough competition for jobs, compared with the rest of the country. Last November there were 1,044 unfilled Jobcentre vacancies, which meant that an average of 5.5 people were chasing every position. In the South West it was 2.5 people to every vacancy, and across the country 3.7.
Plymouth City Council Leader Tudor Evans said: "While it would give me great pleasure to say that these figures are a result of the new initiatives we have put in place since last May, since when we launched exciting initiatives such as our Plan for Jobs and the 1000 Club to help young people find work and support businesses, the impact of these won't have shown through yet.
"We have to be very cautious with these figures as not only are there seasonal variations, they only measure the number of people who are unemployed and claiming JSA, not the number of people who are unemployed. There's no question that the current economic course set by the Government is very damaging to the local economy.
"This is why the Council has made economic development its top priority and we will be continuing to work with our partners to attract investment into the city and help create good jobs."
10 Comments
by Codhead67
Tuesday, February 12 2013, 11:31AM
“This 1200 have all, probably, been sanctioned by JobCentrePlus, who still tell claimants they must allow DWP access to Universal Jobmatch account, despite DWP and union PCS instructions to the contrary.
Jobless, on benefits, but "parked" on Work Programme (Working Links, etc) are not counted as unemployed for some reason (ie to massage the Coalition's figures), therefore counted as employed.
Very few claimants, that I have met at Working Links, are LTB's, just affected by events, although a tiny minority seem to have all but given up on life, as well as job prospects, judging by their poor attitude, posture, clothing and personal-hygiene.
Most jobs advertised on new hackers' paradise Universal Jobmatch are part-time, and previous two weeks' jobs are re-advertised, via Coalition lackies CV-Library, every Sunday afternoon, so Cameron can say there are thousands more jobs available than there really is.
These are dark, cruel times, powered by a dark, cruel and corrupt government.
Who voted for these muppets?”
by Campaigns2012
Thursday, January 31 2013, 10:43AM
“The Jobcentre keep stopping people's money for silly reasons. Nothing to do with people getting employment.”
by Nevman
Thursday, January 24 2013, 1:52PM
“And maybe, just maybe, the number of people falling into the clutches of Working Links after a year of trying to find increasingly elusive jobs (and, conveniently, also falling off the unemployment stats despite still not having work) is increasing.”
by firkinjeffery
Thursday, January 24 2013, 1:26PM
“So why so many coming off benefits???
did that many jobs really appear in a month???
did that many people go back into work???
maybe just maybe the JCP are asking more relevant questions!!!
maybe just maybe people are claiming when they shouldn't be!!!
next herald headline The Rich and Tax Evasion...maybe just maybe!!!
food for thought
Firkin...”
by BettyD
Thursday, January 24 2013, 12:41PM
“Oops nevman lol yes I meant JSA. I'm one of those who could quite happily live with JLS :)”
by olddogbreath
Thursday, January 24 2013, 10:36AM
“Yes lkpflk, I would buy the Herald more, if only it contained investigative journalism.
The whole issue of the poor wages etc of those in the south west and the struggle for jobs, instead we get drivel like this. Newscasters on the box bash it out. They have absolutely no concept of wages and living conditions in the real world.
All this stuff of average weekly wage, hourly rate is utter bunkum, led by those in some public service jobs and a few solicitors etc. Where do these figures come from and from whom are they really made up, do the people reside here? We need real facts for real jobs, not cut and paste tosh”
by Nevman
Thursday, January 24 2013, 10:18AM
“Don't you mean JSA, Betty? I'm sure many people could manage quite happily without JLS.”
by lkpflk
Thursday, January 24 2013, 10:17AM
“Exactly Olddogbreath, where have these jobs miraculously appeared from? Of course, it`s too much to expect any investigative journalism nowadays. They just cut and paste press releases, without any questions.”
by BettyD
Thursday, January 24 2013, 9:50AM
“A lt of those will be people who have partners in full time employment, because after six months regardless if you've worked for thirty years and paid your dues if your partner is in work you are not entitled to jls. Totally wrong IMO especially when you have second,third fourth generation of families that have never done a days work in their lives and neither do they intend to,yet they still get all the benefits under the sun, something wrong somewhere.”
by olddogbreath
Thursday, January 24 2013, 8:40AM
“I am always suspicious of statistics, just where have these 1200 extra jobs come from? There have been many shop closures and others.
One problem that is so little covered is the changing employee conditions, notably for the worse. This is always the case when there is a surplus of labour over jobs and a government who wants to change employee rights.
There is great danger in removal from the EC as currently a lot of labour legislation is governed by that body. If it were not for the LIb Dems, there would be no right of unfair dismissal now. Woe betide if both the EU and other parties did not have a hold on the current mob and Uncle Dave.”