ALARM BELLS RING ON JOBLESS

THERE has been a sharp rise in the number of people out of work over the past year in Lewes constituency.And MP Norman Baker says it is a worrying trend.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Feb 2006, 13:23 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 22:53 BST

The latest unemployment figures released by the House of Commons Library show an 8.8 per cent rise in the number of people claiming Jobseekers allowance in the local area between December 2004, and December 2005.

Mr Baker said: 'These figures are extremely worrying. The UK appears to be heading back to the bad old days of economic insecurity and queues at the job centre.

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'Increasing unemployment, when households are taking on record levels of personal borrowing, spells real trouble.

'It's also going to mean more people in the constituency worrying about losing their jobs and meeting their mortgage payments.

'The rise in people claiming Jobseekers allowance can no longer be dismissed as a temporary blip and is now becoming a very worrying permanent trend.'

And he added: 'I fear the economy is in for a rocky time over the next couple of years.'

In December 2004, there were 691 people in Lewes constituency claiming the Jobseekers allowance.

A year later the figure was 752.

Related topics:Norman Baker