Ahead of official figures showing another rise in unemployment this week, the Tories said those out of work in the country's most blighted areas had almost no chance of finding a job. Government advisers will also warn this week that women could bear a disproportionate brunt of job losses, with the current downturn threatening to reverse recent moves towards equality of employment. The Employment and Skills Commission will this week predict that men will take both the majority of new created after the recession, and a larger share of jobs in previously female-dominated industries. Figures last month showed unemployment at 1.86 million, the highest since 1997. An independent forecasting group today predicted the figure will pass 3.25 million by the end of 2010, hitting 3.4 million the following year. The Ernst & Young Item Club said the fear of being out of work "will drive consumers' behaviour for the first time in a generation". Gordon Brown has promised to spend millions supporting employment, offering a £2,500 bonus to employers who hire people who have been claiming benefits for six months or more. The Conservatives proposed a similar scheme last year. Ministers say the bonus scheme will help curb the rise of long-term unemployment. But the Tories say their figures show that some parts of the country are so short of jobs that long-term unemployment is almost inevitable. According to Tory research, in 81 constituencies, there are more than ten jobseekers for every vacancy. Hackney North & Stoke Newington in north London was the seat with the highest ratio of jobseekers to job vacancies. There were 3,161 people claiming Jobseekers Allowance in the constituency, and only 65 vacancies. In Kingston upon Hull North there were 3,710 Jobseekers compared to 82 vacancies. The Conservatives also highlighted official figures showing how the number of job vacancies in the economy is falling: in October 2004 there were 808,000 live unfilled vacancies at Jobcentres. Now there are only 343,000. Chris Grayling, the Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions, said the figures showed ministers need to do more to support employment. Mr Grayling said: "These figures show the very real challenge of unemployment across Britain today. I'm pleased the Government has finally taken up Conservative proposals to offer incentives to companies to create jobs for the unemployed, but it needs to go further and adopt our plans for a more substantial National Loan Guarantee Scheme to help existing businesses and to protect jobs." endsFifty jobseekers chasing every vacancy in some parts of the country
Fifty jobseekers are chasing every vacancy in some parts of the country, the Conservatives have said as new figures predict unemployment will rise to 3.4million.
Monday, 19 January 2009
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