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Greater Manchester JSA claimants still above national average

Greater Manchester’s Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) rate is still 1% higher than the national average despite slow and steady recovery in the conurbation’s economy.

Left-leaning think tank New Economy released statistics that showed the number of long-term JSA claimants is the same as this time last year, with Greater Manchester unable to keep up with improvements across other regions.

New Economy said youth employment is still “a challenge”, with 25% of JSA claimants currently aged between 16 and 24, although the level has fallen by 14% in the past 12 months.

The report indicated the Government’s Work Programme is making improvements within youth unemployment, with this group performing better than those over 25.

The number of Greater Manchester residents on work benefits is falling, while the workforce continues to grow, with strong rises in self-employment.

Despite these improvements, employment in the public sector has fallen, although this has been offset by growth in service sector employment with new jobs across a range of occupations.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .