Liverpool city region’s jobseekers figures in 18-year record jump

Mar 19 2009 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

Liverpool city region’s jobseekers’ figures in 18-year record jump

There was a glimmer of hope when it emerged the number of unfilled job centre vacancies remained almost unchanged from a month earlier, falling by just eight to 4,455 across the city region. However, that is nearly half of the 8,300 vacancies which were unfilled in October.

And because of the rise in the number of jobseekers the number of claimants per vacancy has risen from less than five in October to an average of 12 last month – peaking as high as 20 in Knowsley and St Helens.

Although the unemployment situation locally has worsened significantly in the last four months, it remains relatively bright. Nationally, the picture is far more severe and Liverpool city region has outperformed the North West and UK averages for each of the last 10 months.

Mr Stoney argued the area has been insulated from the worst of the job losses because of its large public sector workforce and relatively small financial sector.

Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman also believes Merseyside has factors in its favour compared with other parts of the UK.

She said: “Investment is pouring into Merseyside for culture, developments and schools and while every lost job is a tragedy we are in a better position than most other city-regions.”

The UK’s monthly 138,400 increase in claimants, to 1.39m, is the 13th consecutive monthly rise and the largest monthly increase in the claimant count since comparable records began in 1971.

A separate, wider, count of unemployment – the International Labour Organisation (ILO) figure, which counts everyone who is unemployed and say they are willing to work – passed the psychologically-important 2m mark for the first time under the Blair-Brown Governments.

Birkenhead MP Frank Field said: “It is hardly surprising, given that net immigration is now running at 237,000 a year. Gordon Brown must deliver on British jobs for British workers.”

OPINION: PAGE 8