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North East hit hard as unemployment levels rise

Unemployment levels have risen again, with latest figures showing 2.51 million people across the UK are out of work.

The North East is one of the areas hardest hit, with an unemployment rate of 10.7 percent, higher than anywhere else in the country. This figure is also the highest unemployment rate of any region since 1997.

Regional secretary of Northern TUC, Kevin Rowan, was dismayed by the statistics, and stated: “How much more evidence do we need that the cuts are hurting but not working?

Young people aged between 18 and 24 have been particularly badly effected this quarter, with unemployment increasing from 77,000 to 790,000. Women have also been hit by lay offs, as numbers of females out of work rising by 41,000 to 1.06 million - the biggest rise since 1988.

Carmen Watson, Managing director of Pertemps Recruitment Partnership, said: “The shocking unemployment figures bring into sharp focus the challenges the economy is currently undergoing.

She went on to comment on the impact that public sector job losses had made, and suggested that despite private sector recruitment, advances were too slow.

Ms Watson added: “Despite the bleak outlook represented in today’s ONS figures, we’re seeing reports that the temporary market remains stable, and in certain sectors is showing a slight increase in demand
as companies choose to hire a flexible workforce until confidence in the longer term picture is restored.

Following the release of the new figures, the Institute of Drectors is now calling for a second round of quantitative easing.

Chief economist at the IoD Graeme Leach commented: “The storm clouds are gathering with falling employment and rising unemployment at a time when it is difficult to see how this might reverse.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .