Gloomy employment figures for region

UNEMPLOYMENT in Yorkshire has risen by 17,000 in the three months to August according to official figures.

There are now 163,000 people out of work in the region – a figure which is 6.2% is worse than the national average figure.

The Government has been dealt a huge blow with the figures which show that, across the country as a whole, the numbers out of work have climbed by 164,000.

Unemployment nationally is now at its worst level since 1999.

A total of 1.79m people were out of work in the quarter to August, an unemployment rate of 5.7% – up by 0.5% over the quarter and the highest since the spring of 2000.

The quarterly increase in the number of people out of work, including those not eligible for benefit, was the highest since the summer of 1991, when it jumped by 186,000.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased by 31,800 in September to 939,900, the eighth consecutive monthly rise and the highest figure for almost two years.

The total has now risen by 104,900 over the past year.

A total of 147,000 people were made redundant in the three months to August, an increase of 28,000 on the previous quarter.

CBI’s Deputy Director-General, John Cridland, said: “These figures are worse than we expected. They suggest the fallout from the slowdown in the economy is being felt by individuals faster and sooner than previously thought. These figures pre-date the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the turbulence which followed, indicating unemployment is likely to rise further through the winter. However, changes in the economy since the recessions of the eighties and early nineties should help us avoid the levels of unemployment we saw then. The UK labour market is much more flexible and the recent moderation in pay settlements will help.”