Island's long-term unemployment problem

By Ross Findon

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

GRAPH

FIGURES released today (Wednesday) have revealed long-term unemployement on the Isle of Wight is double the level it is in the South East.

More than a quarter of Jobseeker's Allowance claimants on the Isle of Wight have been in reciept of the benefit for 12 months or more, according to the Office of National Statistics.

The ONS found that in February 1,110 people aged 16 to 64 on the Isle of Wight had claimed the benefit for a year of more, out of a total of 4,105 claimants.

That was equivalent to 1.3 per cent of the Island's population, compared to a South East figure of 0.6 per cent.

Since June 2012 the percentage of people claiming the benefit for a year of more has not risen in the South East however, on the Isle of Wight, the figure has increased from 1.1 per cent to the current level of 1.3 per cent.

The total number of people claiming the benefit rose by 125 from 3,980 in January.

Last month Blockbuster announced it was closing all four of its Isle of Wight branches and HMV confirmed it was to close its Island store.

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Displaying the last 10 of 12 comments - Show All Comments

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by Tim Brayford

21st March 2013, at 17:11:33

High unemployment is the price that the poor pay for our archaic transport links to the mainland.

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by ROBERT SMITH

20th March 2013, at 23:23:57

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by ROBERT SMITH

20th March 2013, at 23:23:33

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by Mike Crowe

20th March 2013, at 22:28:19

Steve I like your comment """Respect and inability to take orders from your fellow work colleagues""". I am preparing an illustrated talk which I am hoping to use in the training of Apprentices in the near future and I feel that your statement is very important. I will build on it. Thank you.

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by Jacqueline Chambers

20th March 2013, at 16:16:59

With you on that one Steve W.

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by geoffrey clynch

20th March 2013, at 15:47:34

agree Mr.Williams and Mr.Giro

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by Steve Williams

20th March 2013, at 15:42:50

I'm sure many youngsters would love a job (full time) but the dumbing down of education on the Island, leaves far too many leaving school with reading and writing difficulties, where text spelling and gangster speak are too readily becoming the norm.
Respect and inability to take orders from your fellow work colleagues also down to bad parenting, as a result in part due to mothers being forced to work, instead of being given proper recognition and child benefit for looking after children to 5 years old.

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by geoffrey clynch

20th March 2013, at 13:38:41

Yes! Mike, there will always be those who will never want to work and play the system, but a majority, especially the younger generations would love to have a job, but all they are offered now are Part time or temporary work on slave wages, or are not even considered because big business can bus in foreigners who will work for less money, the BRITISH workers are being sidelined by foreigners so business can maximise Profits, If our youth especially were given the proper jobs with proper wages then they would have incentive to do well, and before anyone says that they havnt got the skills to fill these jobs, then you need to go no further than look at the Lib/Lab/CON/EU PACTS treatment of purposely dumbing down their education for the past 20 years, because of this marxist plan of Social engineering they no longer have any incentive, and that is part of the plan too

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by Scott Robinson

20th March 2013, at 13:23:02

Geoffrey, would you care to draw our attention to the facts of the claims you make?

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by Mike Crowe

20th March 2013, at 12:53:24

and how many don't 'want' a job?

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.