Unemployment in the Yorkshire and Humber region has risen by 41,000 in the last quarter, official figures have shown. Unemployment now stands at 232,000 in the region, or 8.8 per cent of the population. The 1.4 per cent rise in the three months to May 2009 is the second highest in the country, behind the West Midlands, and above the national average, which was 0.9 per cent.
In the East Riding the claimant count has risen from 3,178 to 6,724 between June 2008 and June 2009 – a more than doubling in number.
Commenting on the statistics, Beverley and Holderness MP, Graham Stuart, said: “These figures show the terrible effect that the recession is having in the region. Unemployment is a disaster for those families affected and people are understandably worried about what the future might hold for them. That’s why I held an employment and skills fair in Beverley on Monday which saw more than 150 people turn up in just two hours.
“The boom under Gordon Brown has turned to bust and, unfortunately, the UK was particularly poorly prepared to deal with a recession. That’s why we are borrowing more money than any other country yet doing too little to help people stay in work. I want to see a big, bold and simple National Loan Guarantee Scheme to help get credit flowing and save jobs. Too many East Yorkshire businesses can’t access credit and are cutting jobs as a result. I also want to see tax breaks for companies which create jobs and cuts in National Insurance and Corporation Tax for small companies so as to stimulate those most likely to recruit.
“Times are going to be hard and, whoever is in power, public spending will have to be cut. What we need, however, is effective action and leadership so as to restore confidence and stop the relentless increase in the unemployed causing so much misery in East Yorkshire.”
