Unemployment Shock Rankles Politicians

Shocking figures produced for the London House of Commons Library that show Londonderry's Foyle constituency as one of the worst areas in the UK affected by unemployment "underlines the need for a coherent Programme for Government".

The SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan has said the monthly House of Commons statistics confirmed his fears: "This monthly digest of statistics from the House of Commons again confirm that constituencies like Foyle have a high concentration of unemployment, high levels of long-term unemployment and a growing rate of youth joblessness.

"It should also be noted that these statistics are based on the economically active population - and the story is even starker with levels of economic inactivity," he added - with peoples' long-term conditions such as incapacity and disability taken into consideration.

"It shows that the problem in Derry [pictured] is a lack of work, not a lack of work ethic as alleged by the British Government and others supporting the Welfare Reform Bill and that kind of agenda.

"It also shows the importance of doing everything we can to sustain existing jobs and support firms giving employment in the private sector in challenging market conditions and protecting and better distributing jobs and services in the public sector," he said.

"This all reinforces the need for a coherent [Stormont] Programme for Government with credible priorities to optimise the delivery of the 'One Plan' for regeneration and growth in Derry and the North-West, the case for jobs supporting cross-border initiatives and investments, and a compelling need for Treasury policy in London to focus on growth."

However, the global economic situation is hugely difficult and every level of government will feel limited in their effective powers given these circumstances.

"But that only underscores the importance of using and devising every measure we can to help prospects for families and firms here," he said.

His party colleague, SDLP Cllr Tim Attwood has also said the fact that West Belfast ranks at number three in a league table of UK constituencies' worst affected by unemployment, according to new research is shameful.

The comments were made after it emerged today that West Belfast and Foyle, Co Londonderry rank at numbers three and four in a league table of UK constituencies worst affected by unemployment.

This information came from a House of Commons study that looked at all 650 parliamentary constituencies and ranked them according to levels of unemployment.

The report from the House of Commons Library examined the number claiming benefits as a proportion of the economically active population.

Meanwhile, as the whole of the UK reels from the latest news that 2.6 million people are now out of work, the Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced further measures to create employment.

Commenting after separate figures were released today showing that the Northern Ireland unemployment rate remained unchanged over the quarter at 7.3%, while more recent figures for October 2011 show that the number of unemployment benefit claimants actually increased by 100 from the previous month's revised figure, the DUP Minister Foster said: "The latest unemployment rate in Northern Ireland remained at 7.3%, a figure well below the equivalent rates for the UK (8.3%), European Union (9.5%) and Republic of Ireland (14.6%).

"However, I am very much aware that this will be of little consolation to those currently out of work in Northern Ireland, who have to deal with the stress and strain that unemployment places on family life."

She added that the much-anticipated Executive Programme for Government and Economic Strategy would set the direction for economic progress over the next few years.

'Go Green' Says Alliance

The Alliance Enterprise Spokesperson Trevor Lunn MLA has called on the Executive to implement a Green New Deal to tackle the rising unemployment figures. The total number of unemployed people is now 60,700, up 100 from the previous month.

"These latest figures show that we need a targeted approach to tackle our high levels of unemployment. The Executive should adopt a Green New Deal as an economic stimulus to increase investment and jobs.

"Schemes such as improving insulation in homes would create jobs for the construction sector that were hit very by the downturn. It would also help reduce people's fuel bills as well as being good for the environment.

"We should also invest in renewable energy like Scotland has done which has brought major benefits to their economy. We should also look to making Northern Ireland a world leader in the field of the research and development of renewable energy that would bring a large number of jobs and investment," he said.

(BMcC/GK)