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Mark Hunter MP & the Cheadle Liberal Democrats
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Number of local unemployed has doubled
March 13, 2009 5:29 PM
Mark is calling on the Government to focus on creating new jobs
Figures uncovered by Cheadle MP Mark Hunter show that the number of people claiming job seekers allowance in the Cheadle Parliamentary Constituency has nearly doubled in the last year.
The answer to a Parliamentary Question by Mr Hunter revealed that there had been a 97% increase in the number of people claiming job seekers allowance in the Cheadle constituency between January 2008 (455 people) and January 2009 (898 people). In the Stockport Local Authority area the number of job seekers increased from 2,980 to 5,004 between January 2008 and 2009 - a 68% increase. In the North West the number increased from 110,250 to 164,996 a 50% increase.
Speaking after the facts were revealed Mr Hunter said: "These figures are shocking and show just how bad the recession has got. It's affecting real people in our area - people that may not have been out of work for decades. It's going to be a struggle to find the jobs unemployed people urgently need in the current economic slow-down, but we need to do all we can to help them get back into work.
"The Government should have focused on creating jobs rather than piling all our money into an ineffective VAT cut. They could have invested the £12.5 billion this cost in green projects for schools, hospitals and homes - creating up to 95,000 new jobs.
"We need to focus on getting people back to work as soon as possible, with specialist support services available right away that will give advice and support for the unemployed. The Government shouldn't have borrowed huge sums of public money for a short term tax cut but invested this money in creating long-term jobs which will help reinvigorate the economy."
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