Unemployment rises again to make West Midlands second worst UK region
UNEMPLOYMENT in the West Midlands has risen further and the region now has the second highest rate of people out of work in the country, latest data has shown.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in the first quarter of this year unemployment in the region rose by 16,000 to 253,000, compared with the October to December 2012 period.
At 9.2% of the working population unemployed, the region’s jobless rate is only exceeded by that in the North East (9.8%).
The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group said the figures were disappointing and underlined the need for businesses in the region to look at all options for growth, especially through exports.
Steve Brittan, president of the Birmingham Chamber, said: “It is unacceptable that our region is so high in the jobless league table and it underlines that SMEs are still finding it difficult to take on new employees.
“One of the main reasons is the burden of red tape, especially those regulations which surround employment. Some of the laws on this issue need to be eased, especially in making it easier for companies to shed staff should fortunes take a turn for the worst.
“However, Government also needs to give businesses the confidence to grow and export. The British American Business Council is holding its international conference this week which will provide lots of information for businesses who wish to export to the US.”
Nationally, the unemployment rate grew 0.1% to 7.8% in the January to March period. There are now 2.52m people out of work, a rise of 15,000 on Q4 last year.
In Warwickshire, unemployment dropped to 7,800, and in Coventry it fell to 9,607 between March and April.
Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is the lowest rate in Warwickshire since December, which is obviously very welcome.
“In Coventry too, unemployment has fallen and I believe, despite the roughest recession many have known, the rate has not jumped nearly as high as many predicted.
“But that does not mean we can be complacent because it’s crucial that we get the unemployment level down across this patch still further and that means growing the economy and giving individual businesses the confidence and the support to take on new people.
“That means an employment friendly policy at national level – something we have started to see coming through in terms of changes to rules around National Insurance in the previous budget.”
