Unemployment Woe For Greater Manchester

THOSE hoping the New Year might bring brighter economic times in Manchester will be disappointed to learn that 2012 is all set to be another difficult year, as unemployment continues to rise.

Unemployment data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the overall number of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) in Greater Manchester has risen by 9,900 (13.8 per cent) over the past year. 

“The data on youth and long-term JSA claimants show just how much work needs to be done to address unemployment and it is not just young people who are suffering."

According to the figures, youth unemployment in Greater Manchester has increased by 13.5 per cent, with the number of jobseekers aged 50+ also on the rise.

There was a slight monthly decline in the number of JSA claimants aged 16-24, which fell by 2.4 per cent (650) to 26,400. Despite this improvement, there are still 4,300 more youths in the region claiming benefits than 12 months ago.

The situation is no better for those aged 50+, with the number of JSA claimants greater than this time last year, when there were 1,100 fewer people getting the allowance. That’s an increase of 12.2 per cent with the total figure currently standing at 10,500.

Baron Frankal, director of economic strategy at New Economy, said: “Compared to the situation 12 months ago, there are nearly 10,000 more JSA claimants in Greater Manchester, which is extremely worrying.

“The data on youth and long-term JSA claimants show just how much work needs to be done to address unemployment and it is not just young people who are suffering – more than 10,000 people aged 50+ in the region are claiming JSA benefits.

“An ageing population and reforms to the retirement age mean that supporting this age group to play a more prominent role in the economy is a necessity.

 “As ever, key to all this is how we tackle the lack of economic growth and this issue is not going to go away. We need to invest in the right economic opportunities such as apprenticeships and build on our strengths in areas such as health, research and the creative industries to achieve a genuine long-term recovery for the local economy.”