DOLE QUEUES SHORTEN – EXCEPT IN THE WEST MIDS

14-02-2008

The number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Britain has fallen below the 800,000 barrier for the first time in more than 30 years - but the West Midlands bucked the trend with rising unemployment in both Birmingham and the Black Country.

Birmingham’s dole queue only grew by 96 people in January compared to December – and when seasonal factors are taken into account the trend is downwards, with 8% of the working population out of work now, compared to 9.1% a year ago.

For all that, of the eight so-called “core” English cities outside London, only Liverpool has a worse record than Brum.

The city’s unemployment is focussed on inner city wards, notably Aston (23.7%) and Washwood Heath (22.5%) – by way of contrast, the figure in Sutton Four Oaks is just 1.5%.

Across the four boroughs of the Black Country (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton) the number of claimants rose by 961, a tenfold increase compared to Birmingham.

Nationwide there were 794,600 people on Jobseekers Allowance last month - the lowest figures since 1975.

Unemployment in the UK stands at 3.0% of the working population; in London it’s 3.8%; while in the West Midlands it’s 4.0%.

Why is unemployment in the West Midlands worse than elsewhere? And what else can we do about it? Leave a comment on The Stirrer Forum.