12/11/09 - Unemployment still rising across Teesside

The latest unemployment figures show that the number of people out of work has increased across Teesside by 38% in the past year.    In October 2009 22,449 people were seeking work, up from 16,243 a year earlier.  Areas particularly hit are Stockton, Billingham and East Cleveland which has seen rises above 50%.

On top this, figures also show that 18 people are chasing every job vacancy across the region.  Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland tops the regional list of constituencies with 28 people chasing every job – up from 20 this time last year.

Conservative Candidate for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland stated:

"Today’s figures reveal alarming rises in unemployment across Teesside.  This is simply not a case of people not choosing to work, the jobs are simply not there.  Communities in east Cleveland risk being left behind with jobs not available locally and poor transport links.

"Labour need to wake up and adopt our plans to Get Britain Working as a matter of urgency. In particular they need to offer more support to young people by taking up our proposals to create hundreds of thousands additional apprenticeships and training places to prevent communities being cast adrift because of Gordon Brown's recession.''