Job Seekers' Claims On The Rise

The number of people claiming benefits for being out of work is on the rise.

The latest statistical reports entitled 'Jobseeker's Allowance Summary of Statistics' were published today by the Department for Social Development.

Some of its key findings with year-on-year comparisons include that the estimated claimant numbers in NI at August 2010 was 55,965 - an increase of 7.3% (3,800) over the year from the previous count of 52,165 in November 2009. The report also showed that, five years ago the number was just 27,600.

The number of Job Seekers' Allowance (JSA) claimants as a proportion of people of working age in Northern Ireland in November 2010 was 5.1%.

This compares to 4.8% in November 2009. The November 2010 proportions range from 3.2% in Castlereagh to 7.6% in Londonderry.

The average weekly amount paid to claimants of contribution based JSA was £62.16 in November 2010. The average amount for claimants of income based JSA was £66.36.

Some 17,125 claimants were under 25 years old in November 2010 (30.6% of all claimants). This compares with 16,790 under 25 claimants in November 2009 (32.2%).

At August 2010, 16,295 (29.1%) of all claimants were claiming benefit for a year or more, an increase of 5,805 claimants over the year. Long-term claimants represent 1.5% of the working age population.

Men are more likely to claim JSA (74.8% of claimants in November 2010).

This is partly because income-based benefit is claimed on behalf of couples by only one partner - normally the man.

Jobseeker's Allowance was introduced in October 1996. It replaced Unemployment Benefit and Income Support for unemployed people.

It can be claimed by people who are available for and actively seeking employment, including those in remunerative work for less than 16 hours a week on average, and by people on a Government training scheme.

(BMcC/GK)