At the beginning of 2012, the number of dole claimants in Harlow was 2,850.
Under the Conservative-led Government, this has now fallen steadily to 2,311 today. This has been the trend right through 2012, which has seen falling unemployment in Harlow in every single month. [1]
It is good news that 500 new jobs have come back to Harlow, and that many hundreds of local residents are now back working.
I am organising a Job's Fair at the Leisure Zone in the autumn to help local jobseekers find employment.
This week I have written to over 700 Harlow firms, inviting them to come to recruit new staff at the event. I have had support from Employment Minister Chris Grayling, who hopes to be able to open the event.
The aim of the Job's Fair is to help local people, who are looking for a job, to meet companies with vacancies. There will also be job-training seminars, such as CV workshops.
I have also received strong support and help for the Job's Fair from Harlow Chamber of Commerce, the local Jobcentre, Harlow College, and Olympic torch-bearer Mike Jackson.
I welcome this progress in getting Harlow people back into work. But much more needs to be done. We are still left with the legacy of 2.5 million unemployed, from the last Labour Government, including 1 million young people on the dole.
I wouldn't say there is light at the end of the tunnel - but at least we are digging through the tunnel. It is fantastic that 2012 has seen more than 500 local residents getting back into work.
The free one-day Jobs Fair is being kindly supported by our local Jobcentre and Chambers of Commerce, as well as Olympic torch-bearer Mike Jackson.
For local firms, it is free to exhibit at the Job’s Fair.
Attendees and exhibitors alike can sign-up online at www.harlowjobsfair.eventbright.com."
1) Unemployment data source: DWP monthly statistics at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/wpca/1929380040/subreports/jsa_time_series/report.aspx?
Robert Halfon MP meeting with Raytheon employees and Harlow College apprentices.
"At the beginning of 2012, the number of dole claimants in Harlow was 2,850.
ReplyDelete...
It is good news that 500 new jobs have come back to Harlow, and that many hundreds of local residents are now back working."
I hope this is true but your reasoning may be flawed.
The number of dole claimants (as you express it) may have fallen because of the number of people who have ceased to qualify for contributory JSA by virtue of their partner's income. They may still be unemployed but not showing up in the figures as they would be signing on or undergoing the Work Programme for the value of their NI contributions.
There's also no indication that 500 new jobs have come to Harlow (if there is, it would have been useful if you had linked to it or mentioned it). It's quite possible that a number of people left the U/E figures with jobs that are in London, Cambridge of other areas.
If there are 500 new jobs in Harlow, please link to their description and indicate if they are full time, permanent, fixed term contracts, zero hour contracts etc.