Thurrock tops Eastern league with more than 10 unemployed people chasing each job
5:01pm Monday 13th June 2011
THURROCK has the highest ratio of unemployed job seekers to vacancies in the Eastern region.
The borough has an average of 10.7 applicants per job, with 4,354 people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance chasing 408 vacancies.
This is higher than the average in Southend, the neighbouring unitary authority, which has an average of 6.3 applicants per job.
Thurrock’s ratio is more than twice the average for Essex, which is 4.6.
The borough’s Tory MP, Jackie Doyle-Price, said the coalition is investing heavily in a work programme to ease unemployment.
She said: “People do not always work where they live.
“People who live in Thurrock often work in Kent, London and elsewhere in Essex so fewer vacancies in Thurrock does not mean fewer job opportunities for Thurrock people.
“The key issue though is to increase job opportunities and to make sure that work pays.
“The coalition Government is investing heavily in the work programme to make sure that those who can work are able to. Unemployed people will be given access to training programmes to equip them with skills and the benefits system is being reformed so that people are no longer trapped into being dependent on welfare.”
She added: “By tackling Government borrowing more money will be available to encourage the private sector to invest and that will lead to more jobs and I look forward to witnessing the creation of new jobs locally through for example the expansion at Lakeside and the continued investment at London Gateway.”
The unemployement figures were revealed at the GMB congress in Brighton on Friday.
The conference heard there are 5.8 unemployed workers chasing each unfilled job vacancy across the country as a whole, and 10.1 in London.
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