If you needed any more proof about the impact of the recession on the Humber region, you only have to look at the jobless figures released yesterday. In North Lincolnshire, the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance is now at the highest level since July 1996. The January figures show that 5,222 people In North Lincs are now claiming the allowance along with 7,477 in the East Riding which also saw a rise. It is what is going on behind those figures which is really worrying.
Nationally, we now have a higher youth unemployment rate than when Labour came to power, the number of long-term unemployed has risen in the quarter to December to 663,000, also the highest figure since 1997, and we now have a record high of 8.08 million, more than 21 per cent of the working age population, classed as economically inactive.
Every Labour Government has left office with unemployment higher than when it came to power and these figures show that this one will be sadly no different.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, we now have news today that the public finances have deteriorated further. It has just been announced that the Labour Government had to borrow £4.3bn in January. The first time ever a government has had to borrow in January since records began. So much for Gordon telling us we were best placed to weather the recession.
The first into recession, the last out, the deepest recession since the war, record levels of youth unemployment and staggering levels of national debt. All thanks to a Labour Government. Cheers Gordon!