East Lancashire jobless numbers still rising

THE number of unemployed people in East Lancashire went up last month.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in the area rose by 134 to 13,773 from July to August.

Compared to last year the figure is up by 712.

The picture in East Lancashire’s six boroughs is more bleak than elsewhere in the region.

In the North West in general unemployment dropped by 8,000 to 316,000 for the period.

The biggest rise in unemployment came in Blackburn with Darwen where an extra 120 people claimed JSA taking the total in the borough to 4,533.

In Burnley, the number rose by 36 to 2,866 and there were small rises in Hyndburn and Pendle but there were drops in Rossendale and Ribble Valley.

Graham Jones, Hyndburn and Haslingden MP, said: “The unemployment figures again make for tough reading.

“It is so sad that families in Lancashire have to suffer the consequences of George Osborne's economic experiment.

“More families in the last month have had to face the prospect of redundancy and joblessness.”

Comments(5)

chris283 says...
10:20am Thu 13 Sep 12

why do these people in government trying to make out they care about people being unemployed , they do not give a toss about us as long as they have there nice houses and nice cars who they trying to kid . i have been looking for full time employment for 5 years i do part time cleaning told you all before i blame theses employment agency's close the employment agencys thats the first thing you do

shytalk says...
11:50am Thu 13 Sep 12

chris283 wrote:
why do these people in government trying to make out they care about people being unemployed , they do not give a toss about us as long as they have there nice houses and nice cars who they trying to kid . i have been looking for full time employment for 5 years i do part time cleaning told you all before i blame theses employment agency's close the employment agencys thats the first thing you do
And stop companies from exclusively employing east european agency workers whilst we have such high unemployment..Compan
ies such as Farmhouse Fayre in Clitheroe for instance. End the workfare/forced labour schemes and make companies take on paid staff instead if they need them.

chris283 says...
12:07pm Thu 13 Sep 12

shytalk i agree with you that is where problem is ban these employment agencys and fine the employers who use the foreign workers but it will fall on death ears am i right or what

mavrick says...
3:53pm Thu 13 Sep 12

I am always suspicious of these figures, It seems that unemployment in the area is used to drive wages down, only this time the Coalition is scrapping workers rights and allowing exploitation on a grand scale. This is exactly what Maggie Thatcher did in her reign of terror. Liam Fox let the cat out of the bag when he said we should scrap all workers rights to allow easier hiring and firing. He wants us all to be self employed at the behest of the big employers. He also called for capital gains tax to be scrapped for three years for companies and further benefit cuts.
I think the real Tories are starting to show their true colours to the country, It looks like another battle for survival of the poor, sick, disabled and poorly paid. Where are the unions, Why are people not banging down the doors to join? but when the union leaders are on £100000 per year I wonder if they are part of the establishment.

Kevin, Colne says...
9:00am Fri 14 Sep 12

There has been a structural shift in the balance of power between employers and employees across large sections of the economy. The reasons for this are many and varied but I cannot help but think that the trade union movement bears some responsibility for the electoral victory of the Conservative Party in 1979.

In the last 30 years the trade unions have struggled to come to terms with this new reality and some of the current leaders are rather like the House of the Bourbons – they have learned nothing and forgotten nothing. In this they share the trait with members of the Conservative Party, so perhaps they deserve each other.

I have been a member of a trade union from starting work at the age of 16 right up until the day I was made redundant nearly 40 years later. At a micro level I found trade union officials to very genuine, sincere and caring; although often misguided. At the macro level I have watched the trade union movement floundering with a mixture of incredulity and dismay at the missed opportunities to forge a different form of social democracy.

Somehow the trade union movement has become a prisoner of its own making and currently I see nothing on the horizon to suggest that it is remotely close to finding a way out.

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