No end to Rotherham's unemployment woe

ROTHERHAM’S jobless seem to be missing out on the national trend of falling unemployment.

Latest employment figures showed that the number of jobless dropped by 50,000 nationally in the three months to August, and by 9,000 in Yorkshire.

But according to official national statistics, the number of unemployed claimants in Rotherham constituency in September 2012 was 3,999.

This is 10.2 per cent of the economically active population aged 16 to 64, the 54th highest of the 650 UK constituencies and 61 claimants more than in September 2011.

But in the Wentworth and Dearne Parliamentary Constituency, he number of people out of work rose and was 15 per cent higher than in June 2010.

Over the past year, youth unemployment has more than tripled.

Now the areas’ MPs, Denis MacShane and John Healey are warning that unemployment is in danger of creating a divided country.

“David Cameron is not prime minister of Greater London but of Great Britain,” said Dr MacShane.

“Tax cuts for his millionaire chums in London are helping create more low-pay part-time service sectors jobs for waiters, nannies and others to serve the rich.

“But when it comes to manufacturing jobs as at Toyoda Gosei where workers face being laid-off, there is no policy for a balanced economic recovery.”

Mr Healey said: Mr Healey said: “There is no let up for people in Rotherham and Barnsley who are increasingly shut out of the jobs market because of this Government’s economic failure.

“Long term youth unemployment in the Wentworth and Dearne constituency has gone up 218 per cent in the last year, but ministers still refuse to take decisive action.

“Labour is not waiting for the next election to take action. Our Youth Jobs Taskforce is pulling together the best ideas from across the country to take action now.”

The Olympic effect is being credited with lifting the UK out of recession today, with ticket sales said to have added around 0.2 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show growth of about 0.7% in the third quarter of the year.

But experts are warning that output is likely to fall back in future and that the recovery is 'weak.'

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