Tynedale continues to lead the way in tackling unemployment - good work by Job Centre Plus

Last month, 464 people were recorded as unemployed, representing a rate of just 1.3 per cent of the economically active population. Compare this to the UK rate of 2.5 per cent, and the contrast is clear – our area continues to lead the rest of the UK in supplying jobs and getting people into work. Beyond this though, we have also improved on what Tynedale has achieved before. Unemployment in March was 31 lower than the month before, and 79 lower than March 2015.

As ever, there is always more to do. Full employment is not yet here, but the direction of travel is absolutely clear, and Tynedale is an example to the rest of the UK of where we want to be. Much credit is due to the efforts of the Job Centre Plus team. Our Jobs fair has played a small but vital to.e and we intend to have another one this Autumn.

Good to see that unemployment falling locally as Job Centre's hard work and impact of our recent Hexham Jobs Fair take effect

December’s figures for Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants have been published recently and continue to show Tynedale as a leader in getting people into work. The total number of claimants for the Hexham constituency in December 2015 was 432. This represents a rate of just 1.2% of the economically active population - crucially this is half the wider UK rate at 2.4%.
Full credit to the Job Centre teams who are helping long and short term unemployed back into work. I know that our Hexham Jobs Fair has also helped, and I will be holding another one this year. 

Not only are we doing better than the wider country, but also we are building on our work already done. The total number of claimants was 89 lower than at this time last year. The situation continues to improve for our young people also as the number of claimants fell by 40, from last year, to a present total of 90. That is 40 young people who have a wage packet and a fresh start who did not have it before.
In the North East as a whole unemployment is also down. 

These figures demonstrate how our long term plan is working, and reinforce the importance of safeguarding this economic security for our younger generations. Nationally I should also point out that we now have more people in work in this country than ever before. Noone is complacent, but progress is being made. 

My PMQ today

Is the PM aware that the region with :
-         the most technology start-ups [300] outside of London,
-         and fastest rate of growth in private sector business nationally over the last quarter
...is ….. the North East of England..... and does he agree with me that only by sticking with our long term economic plan can we secure the future for all regions of the United Kingdom?

Fact checker:

Technology start ups:

http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/policy-maker/blog/north-east-businesses-are-busting-the-%E2%80%98only-manufacturing%E2%80%99-myth.html

Private Sector Growth by PMI Output

The graph below shows the regional PMI Output Indexes for the UK. An average of the latest three months is used. All 12 UK regions registered an increase in private sector business activity on average over the third quarter of 2014. The fastest rate of growth was seen in the North East, while Scotland registered the slowest expansion: PMI = Purchasing Managers Index [Lloyds Bank]

 

And ….Worth making the point that we are also the region with the highest rise in the value of its exports

See: Highest rise in value of exports:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/north-east-exports-helping-economic-7721357

https://bdaily.co.uk/industrials/04-09-2014/north-east-exports-31-billion-worth-of-goods-in-q2/