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Number claiming dole in Sussex drops again

6:00pm Thursday 19th May 2011 in News By Sam Lister, Parliamentary Correspondent

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Sussex has fallen for the second month running.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics show there were 26,909 claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in the region in April, compared with 27,299 the previous month.

The 1.4% decrease follows a fall of 0.69% in March and bucks the national trend, which saw the claimant count increase by 12,400 to 1.47 million, the largest increase in 16 months.

Economists were expecting a fall of between 4,000 and 10,000.

But UK unemployment – recorded over a three-month period and based on other measurements beside claimant counts – fell by 36,000 to 2.46 million, the second quarterly drop in a row.

The number of jobless 16- to 24- year-olds decreased by 30,000 and the number of people in employment increased.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling welcomed the figures, saying: “It’s good news to see that unemployment is also going in the right direction and pleasing that unemployment has fallen for young people.”

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: “We welcome any glimmer of good news but the figures are a sign we are not out of the woods by a long stretch.

“A host of respected business organisations are warning that choppy waters are ahead, and this is why we are saying the Tory-led Government needs to do far more to get Britain back to work.”

Economists warned that unemployment is likely to rise over the coming months, despite the improvement seen in the latest figures, as the Government’s austerity measures bite.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, has forecast unemployment to increase to 2.67 million by the end of this year.

Local Authority March April

Adur

1013

987

Arun

2401

2291

Brighton and Hove

6192

6075

Chichester

1422

1432

Crawley

2338

2351

Eastbourne

2078

2063

Hastings

3109

3149

Horsham

1519

1523

Lewes

1397

1400

Mid Sussex

1224

1136

Rother

1432

1380

Wealden

1278

1233

Worthing

1896

1889

Total

27299

26,909 -0.6%

Comments(13)

Angryoldman says...
7:25pm Thu 19 May 11

These figures mean nothing apart from the fact that seasonal work has started.
Besides, all governments fiddle the figures in one way or another.

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feline1 says...
7:29pm Thu 19 May 11

Yeah it just means they've stopped benefits for loads of legitimate claimants - usually those with learning difficulties, who are easier to bamboozle.
Typical public sector scum, really.

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Just Four Cough says...
7:47pm Thu 19 May 11

public sector scum?
Care to enlighten us as to how you arrived at this seemingly unintelligent conclusion ?

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haris_pilton says...
8:07pm Thu 19 May 11

I work in the public sector, often saving lives of people you strike me as one of, you know, the type that sit round all day long eating biscuits and watching jeremy kyle, before tucking into convenience food, then hurrying the kids to bed so you can tuck into the cheap alcohol. Doesn't sound like your stereotype?? perhaps then you will understand how it is for public servants, when they read inane comments like yours. Think before you type, otherwise you tend to look like an idiot.

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bladesboy says...
9:13pm Thu 19 May 11

Just Four Cough wrote:
public sector scum?
Care to enlighten us as to how you arrived at this seemingly unintelligent conclusion ?
Too complex for you to comprehend, clearly!

LOL

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feline1 says...
12:10am Fri 20 May 11

Just Four Cough, I arrived at this conclusion by reading proper newspapers, in which the scandalous practices taking place in "Job Centre Plus" establishments were exposed by whistleblowers. Staff were given targets to boot legitimate claimants off JSA, by tricking them and tripping them up with bureacratic nonsense. Of course, this tends to hit the vulnerable and those with learning difficulties most.
Here's a report from the Grauniad
http://www.guardian.
co.uk/politics/video
/2011/apr/01/jobcent
re-whistleblower-tar
get-culture-welfare
It was also on BBC News and pretty much every broadsheet paper.

Job Centre staff like this should be ashamed of themselves and resign. They're a disgrace.

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feline1 says...
12:16am Fri 20 May 11

haris_pilton, it's not an "inane comment", it's a very real problem and an issue that, despite extensive media coverage, you appear to be pig ignorant about.
And Job Centre Plus staff don't "save lives", don't be so ridiculous.

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teifion says...
7:56am Fri 20 May 11

After working 30+ years I went to Worthing Job CentrePlus to claim my Job Seekers allowance which I was entitled to due to my employment history, during the interview I mentioned that account handler was not on my preferred list as it had nothing to do with accounts/finance - nothing more was said.
When I enquired later where my JSA was I was told I had been turned down bevause I had refused a job - WHAT?
Its fiddling figures to look good, its getting rid of easy applicants and never questioning those who have never worked and don't want a job - personally I'm never going back there - having to walk past the scum of the earth with their tattoos, their expensive mobiles, their cheap and nasty gold chains, baseball caps and white sports wear
PS I wrote a letter of complaint to the manager, he said It would be looked into but the young woman I had dealt with was away sick - still waiting ......

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haris_pilton says...
8:26am Fri 20 May 11

I didn't say jobcentre staff save lives ~I said some public sector people do yet you are happy to make a generalisation about all public workers.

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feline1 says...
10:34am Fri 20 May 11

Do I sound like I'm "happy" about what public sector workers have been getting up to in their "Job Centre Plus" establishments? And "Plus" what exactly?! Even the name is rubbish.

I see you've absolutely no defence to make for the way they've been running these places - yet I'm sure they'll be happy to go on strike about changes to their pensions.

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haris_pilton says...
10:57am Fri 20 May 11

well, you could always find a job, and not have to visit the jobcentre....

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feline1 says...
2:14pm Fri 20 May 11

yes, haris, and we could all just not pay the bit of tax that goes to pay the Job Centre staff's wages too. I'm sure HMRC would accept an "opt out" on that basis.

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bladesboy says...
9:49pm Fri 20 May 11

bladesboy wrote:
Just Four Cough wrote:
public sector scum?
Care to enlighten us as to how you arrived at this seemingly unintelligent conclusion ?
Too complex for you to comprehend, clearly!

LOL
Fuc**it

LOL

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