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50 are chasing every vacancy in the capital
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor19 Jan 2009
FRESH evidence of soaring unemployment emerged today as new figures revealed that nearly 50 people are chasing every job vacancy in parts of London.
With the jobless total expected to top two million this week, the crisis was underlined by the lack of vacancies on offer in the capital.
In Hackney North & Stoke Newington there are 3,161 people claiming Jobseekers Allowance and only 65 vacancies - nearly 50 jobseekers for each job.
Gordon Brown and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell repeatedly say there are "half a million" vacancies in the economy.
But shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling revealed the number has plummeted 58 per cent in the past five years to 343,000. In Islington North there are 25 people chasing every job.
Reader views (8)
Welcome to my world. For trainee lawyers the numbers run into their thousands for every job. Fortunately, I kept at it and now have a job.
- Andrew, London, 20/01/2009 10:15
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Just because people are claiming jobseekers allowance does not mean that they are actually SEEKING work! A lot of these people are too lazy to work - and we all know that is true.
- Shirley, London, 19/01/2009 21:34
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it is so disappointing to read the joy someone like Hugh in Birmingham feels at reading of our plight down south. This is GLOBAL Hugh, not just a north, south divide. Forgive and move on...We all have
- Maya, London, 19/01/2009 16:49
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I can't believe anyone living in Hackney North or Stoke Newington is looking for work.
- Steve, London, 19/01/2009 14:46
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Susannah, completely agree except that most professional/graduate job-hunters are now forced into Jobcentres that do not have relevant jobs listed for them because of concerns for their NI contributions.
- Rachelle, London, 19/01/2009 14:32
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Perhaps London will now see the sort of decline that the north has been experiencing for decades. Employment in the northern post-industrial cities has decimated those communites and many moved south over the years to the much more propserous London. I recall being ridiculed in Enfiled in 1982 because I came from Liverpool where "all those lazy sods live who cant be bothered seeking work". Well now Londoners may see what it's like to suffer like that.
- Hugh, Birmingham, UK, 19/01/2009 13:43
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Anyone living in London who confines their job search to Hackney North and Stoke Newington deserves to stay unemployed. These are predominantly residential areas! If you compared the number of vacancies in central London with the number of unemployed people living in central London you'd get a completely different picture.
- Jonathan, London, England, 19/01/2009 13:23
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Yes, but are these vacancies submitted to public jobcentres only? If so, most jobs are NOT registered to Jobcentres, but to a diverse range of sources such as recruitment agencies/websites/newspapers- or not advertised at all- ie the jobseeker has to be pro-active & send CVs in 'on spec'. Most professional/graduate job-hunters would never enter the doors of a Jobcentre, as they don't tend to hold professional vacancies.
- Susannah, Colchester, 19/01/2009 10:19
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