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Jobless figures are on the rise
11:30am Friday 10th October 2008
UNEMPLOYMENT figures in Swindon have shot up in the last 12 months.
Jobless figures in North Swindon have rocketed nearly 28 per cent in a year, while in South Swindon the figure is almost 25 per cent.
The official House of Commons Library statistics show 1,480 unemployed claimants in South Swindon this August, up 24.8 per cent on the same point last year.
In North Swindon the number was 1,163, up 27.8 per cent on August 2007.
This puts South Swindon 587th and North Swindon 606th out of 646 constituencies across the UK.
Despite the alarming rises in claimants, rates of unemployment in Swindon remain relatively low, with three per cent in South Swindon and 2.4 per cent in North Swindon.
South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said: “Obviously any increase in unemployment is very worrying, and I hope those people are able to get back to work as soon as possible.
“But it is important to recognise that in Swindon we were starting from a low unemployment base to begin with.
“I have had meetings recently with representatives of the Department of Work and Pensions and am satisfied that everything possible is being done to handle the situation.
“These are difficult economic times and everyone is feeling the effect, but there is still enough buoyancy and resistance with the job market in Swindon.”
North Swindon MP Michael Wills said: “Swindon clearly is not immune from the problems affecting the world economy at the moment and the figures reflect that.
“The situation is still significantly better than in 1997 but the task for the council and the Government is to make sure it doesn’t get worse.”
North Wiltshire has also seen its unemployment figures rise drastically with a 29.9 per cent increase in claimants over the year. Despite this it has just 1.5 per cent unemployment.
North Wilts MP James Gray said: “I would not want to alarm people because unemployment has been effectively zero for many years.
“But I fear there is a very real risk we will see a sharp increase in the months and years to come.”
Your Say YourSwindon
Buster, says...
12:52pm Fri 10 Oct 08
I wonder if the two MPs will find their own words as comforting when it matters to them personally.
Bobfm, South Marston says...
1:39pm Fri 10 Oct 08
It has been plan for all to see, except of course the 'experts and HMG that Swindon has been recessing like every where else and even today the Council are saying the are reassured about the Lacorno development. What part of a company being broke do our councillors not understand.
BWB, SWINDON says...
5:59pm Fri 10 Oct 08
Will be worse If Honda closes.
moonraker, says...
9:05pm Fri 10 Oct 08
Swindon born n bred, Swindon says...
9:45pm Fri 10 Oct 08
RFM, Swindon says...
9:32am Sat 11 Oct 08
OF COURSE THEY ARE GOING TO SAY THAT!! Why scare off potential investors/companies that may wish to move to the town to make use of a cheaper labour force than places closer to London?
If, and this is a HUGE IF, the UKRAP (sorry, UKIP) ever win a general Election are they going to make statements highlighting the shortfalls of the UK? "Yes, please move your business to the UK. Our economy is crap, it's expensive to live here, we have an unskilled workforce but what the hell, come anyway.. please."
BWB, SWINDON says...
9:55am Sat 11 Oct 08
They certainly do not rely on what
is UK sales pitch.
Would anyone buy a House on the seller saying every thing is fine,NO
you would get a surveyer to make sure all was OK.
And,yes,Honda are keeping their cards close to their chest,for now.
Bobfm, South Marston says...
10:36am Sat 11 Oct 08
Swindon like every other town in the UK is heading for recession, to ignore that is pure stupidity. Did the hyping up of the housing market 9 months ago by certain estate agents, actually alter the reality, of course not. As it happens one of those doing so as I understand have themselves gone broke.
Swindon isn't an oasis in a desert. We are a town that has had high expectation that hasn't been delivered, we have been promised much but little has been delivered and we now face the prospect of a semi derelict town centre for years to come. That is a reality RFM, no amount of spin will alter that.
What Swindon must do is acknowledge that and try to work it's way out of problems facing similar towns in the country, who sadly due to have a key advantage, their regeneration plans having been delivered in swift time.
Honda is indeed playing things close to their chests, and with more and more migrant workers going home, the service sector nation wide, is both relieved and fearful at the same time, relieved that are not having to lay off UK based staff and fearful that when the upturn does come we will be back to the days 10 years ago without the necessary staff.
Oxford, Toothill says...
12:44pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Your sayYourSwindon
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Big Mac, Old Town says...
12:11pm Fri 10 Oct 08
It's comments like that which will ensure Labour lose the next General Election.
This country is in a mess - from the NHS, to schools, to transport, to unemployment, to millions on 'Incapacity' benefit, to uncontrolled immigration, to crime, to the economic crisis.
Despite Labour's claims, there is absolute NO sign of improvement on the horizon despite them having been in power for over 11 years.
People are not interested in what the situation was in 1997. Children that are entering sub-standard schools and who will leave barely able to read and write weren't even born in 1997 - they do not care about 'Thatcher', 'the miners', 'the Poll Tax' or any other cliche that Labour ALWAYS use in an attempt to smokescreen the fact that they've had 11 years of power over which time they've made no progress whatsoever.