MPs pleased as unemployment falls again (From Swindon Advertiser)
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MPs pleased as unemployment falls again
9:30am Thursday 18th March 2010 in
THE DOLE queues in Swindon shortened last month – with 82 fewer people claiming jobless benefits since the previous count.
Official figures showed that 5,601 people in the town claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance in February - down 1.4% on January.
The rest of Wiltshire also recorded a fall, with the number of claimants down 2.1% to 7,196.
Nationally, the Office for National Statistics data showed the number of people claiming JSA fell by 32,300 on the month, while the International Labour Organisation’s measure of unemployment – which includes students looking for work — fell 33,000 on the quarter to 2.45 million, the largest fall in unemployment for two-and-a-half years.
South Swindon MP Anne Snelgrove said: “The latest employment figures show that the real help from this Government is continuing to ensure people are getting back to work or training. Today’s figures show that the claimant count is down by nearly 1,000 people since June of last year. Youth unemployment has also continued to fall which is really good news.
“The Future Jobs Fund which creates real jobs for young people has helped over 400 18-24 year olds in Swindon so far. I would encourage any local business or organisation that would like to take on more young people to contact me.”
However, the Government warned that further increases in unemployment were expected before the summer, before further falls in the second half of the year.
Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We should remain cautious. We’re not out of the woods yet and we are still determined to do more to support jobs and help the unemployed this year.
“The figures show the investment in jobs, education and training places is making a real difference. Half a million fewer people are out of work than anticipated at the time of last year’s budget - saving over £10bn as a result.
“However, now is not the time to cut back on support for jobs. We know things will be difficult for some time, and unemployment in the eighties and nineties rose for years after the recessions finished. That is why we plan to increase help to get people back into jobs this year, not cut it back, so we can support the jobs of the future.”
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May said: “Any fall in the headline unemployment figures is welcome, but these figures are still real cause for concern. With fewer people in work and fewer jobs in the economy there is now a real fear of a jobless recovery under Labour. Long term unemployment is continuing to grow and more people are disappearing from the unemployment figures.”
Comments(16)
real -life
says...
10:54am Thu 18 Mar 10
And you honestly believe any other party could have done better in what was a Global crash? Most of the problems are beyond their control, an ageing poulation who are costing a fortune in healthcare and pensions and ever increasing, a benefit system that actively encourarges people not to work and a global economy where everything can be produced cheaper overseas especially in the far east.
I cant believe you honestly think that any other party will make a difference, they all basically have the same policies anyway.
And the unemplyed numbers will go up by 2 following the next election as our 2 sitting candidates will be gone (thankfully) but who will replace them is the question and will they actually be any better.
politicrat
says...
11:19am Thu 18 Mar 10
real -life wrote:Dont believe everything you see in the BBC
"Labour is against the workers!" And you honestly believe any other party could have done better in what was a Global crash? Most of the problems are beyond their control, an ageing poulation who are costing a fortune in healthcare and pensions and ever increasing, a benefit system that actively encourarges people not to work and a global economy where everything can be produced cheaper overseas especially in the far east. I cant believe you honestly think that any other party will make a difference, they all basically have the same policies anyway. And the unemplyed numbers will go up by 2 following the next election as our 2 sitting candidates will be gone (thankfully) but who will replace them is the question and will they actually be any better.
This Global crash has curiously hit Britain worst than any other European economy, why?
Labour has been feeding on the greed of the banking system(namely the housing boom), happy to turn a blind eye as long as stamp duty, trade tax and corporate taxes etc...flowed in
I do not think that the tories or Libdem would fare much better.
The problem that I have is that I have never heard of a succesful economy battering its workforce with taxes to finance a plethora of civil servants and benefits.
This is simply not how to build a competitive economy facing increased ever increasing Global competition!.
For me, it would make sense to scrap income tax all together and increase sales tax instead (VAT), if you work hard the money should be yours entirely! taxing labour is morally wrong and economically counterproductive.
Bobfm
says...
12:25pm Thu 18 Mar 10
It seems that this fall is due to students returning to college after holiday employment. Also the number of vacancies are for part time jobs.
Those not seeking work has also risen.
These are not good news figures however Labour try to spin them.
Bobfm
says...
12:35pm Thu 18 Mar 10
They are also to blame for spending billions on crack pot schemes , computer systems that don't work tens of thousands of public sector jobs dealing with issues Government shouldn't engage in and much more.
And when the proverbial hit the fan, we had nothing left, and who switched the fan on, one Alistair Darling. His handling of Northern Rock was the catalyst for the banking crisis.
By announcing that Northern Rock had a £30bill draw down facility, and in the next breath telling savers not to panic, led to panic, and a draw down on the funds. Stupid incompetence and we know the rest.
who dat?
says...
12:39pm Thu 18 Mar 10
politicrat
says...
12:54pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Bobfm wrote:You are right, Labour has had a terrible record on pensions, taking from pensioners and pension funds to finance its benefits program.
real-life it's interesting you mention an ageing population, because it is perhaps my generation and above have been the only current group of workers or retired who have contributed more than enough to sustain us in retirement and yet Government seek to deny these rights, and have attacked pensions in such a way as to create the pensions black hole. They are to blame for that. They are also to blame for spending billions on crack pot schemes , computer systems that don't work tens of thousands of public sector jobs dealing with issues Government shouldn't engage in and much more. And when the proverbial hit the fan, we had nothing left, and who switched the fan on, one Alistair Darling. His handling of Northern Rock was the catalyst for the banking crisis. By announcing that Northern Rock had a £30bill draw down facility, and in the next breath telling savers not to panic, led to panic, and a draw down on the funds. Stupid incompetence and we know the rest.
I would like to believe that it is fair, but like everything with Labour, their economic and fiscal policies are aimed at specific political purpose, evidently to please the Unions, civil servants, immigrants and people on benefits, their traditional hardcore voters.
I am not very optimistic that the Tories would treat workers and pensioners better, we will have to wait and see what their economic and fiscal pre-election program is and how they tend to improve our current politics, but in fairness, I clearly can see Cameron hiding behind the excuse of the recession to have a non-existant fiscal and economic program
Between the Cholera and the Plague, the choice is yours.....
Bobfm
says...
1:40pm Thu 18 Mar 10
In order to better target the value of the tax relief for pension contributions on low and average earners, to reduce the annual limit for tax-relievable pension
contributions to £10,000 gross from £235,000 now and reinstate the dividend
tax credit at 20%.
real -life
says...
3:30pm Thu 18 Mar 10
In order to better target the value of the tax relief for pension contributions on low and average earners, to reduce the annual limit for tax-relievable pension
contributions to £10,000 gross from £235,000 now and reinstate the dividend""
Well that should bankrupt the country in no time at all!
Sometimes I do wonder if it is all done in the name of politics, or just that they are a bunch of total idiots who couldn't run a bring and buy stall and make a profit.
As for the ageing population, you can't blame that on the current chancellor as pension contributions have been used to prop up other ares of the economy for many years and the fact that people are living longer has also been known for some time, so this isnt just the fault of the current governement, but of all of them! As politicrat says, which do you want frying pan or fire?
Billy Jo
says...
3:40pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Bobfm wrote:Which is yet another reason why YOUKIP will never be in a position of power.
UKIP have already pledged to double the state pension, remove means testing, and the maximum tax on private pension would be 20%. In order to better target the value of the tax relief for pension contributions on low and average earners, to reduce the annual limit for tax-relievable pension contributions to £10,000 gross from £235,000 now and reinstate the dividend tax credit at 20%.
These wonderful ideas could and would only be able to be paid for by massively reducing spending or increasing taxes. No balancing act. No attempt of rational financial ideology just big hammer swings in either direction.
Shame.
Captain Sensible
says...
10:48pm Thu 18 Mar 10
itsamess
says...
12:02am Fri 19 Mar 10
Bobfm
says...
10:03am Fri 19 Mar 10
The Pensions policy is perfectly affordable and as for the Pension black hole it was of course Gordon Brown's fault he imposed tax on company us on Pension contributions meaning at the outset a 5billion a year black hole that has risen to 7billion a year.
Bobfm
says...
10:16am Fri 19 Mar 10
Bottom line if this ever happens would be Britain's standard of living will plummet, to equalise world benefits. The other thing of course would be that Britain and other perceived 'wealthy' countries will still pay an unfair share of their GDP's.
Global Communism, Marx's would be proud.
Bobfm
says...
10:35am Fri 19 Mar 10
They have just interviewed Nigel Farage also live. This is unprecedented from the BBC.
daproofreader
says...
6:33am Sat 20 Mar 10
Below are the 22 towns identified by the Government as the areas with the highest proportion of homeowners at risk of repossession.
1. Barking and Dagenham
2. Birmingham
3. Bolton
4. Cannock Chase
5. Corby
6. Halton
7. Kingston-upon-Hull
8. Knowsley
9. Liverpool
10. Manchester
11. Newham
12. Northampton
13. Nottingham
14. Reading
15. Redditch
16. Salford
17. Sandwell
18. Sunderland
19. Swindon
20. Walsall
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politicrat says...
10:32am Thu 18 Mar 10
This governement has sunk the country, bankrupted our economy and threatening the future of the younger generation.
What help is there for people working hard? lower VAT, lower income Tax?, deductible commuting costs?, lower council tax?, lower tv licence? lower fuel and food prices?
Everything goes up and our living standards are being eaten away by both greedy cartels (Oil companies, Supermarkets) and public fiscal pressure funding bloated Public Sector and subsidising the lazy.
Labour is against the workers!