Over 400,000 people will spend their second Christmas in a row on the dole

20 Dec 2012, by Anjum Klair in Labour market

TUC analysis of official unemployment figures shows that mass long-term unemployment – where a local area has over 1,000 people that have been on the dole for at least a year is no longer limited to a few employment blackspots.Last month, 149 of the 232 local authority areas across the UK (nearly two thirds of all authority areas) had at least 1,000 long-term dole claimants. In London, 27 of its 33 boroughs have over 1,000 people set to spend their second Christmas in a row on the dole.

While overall unemployment has been falling steadily in recent months, long-term unemployment has continued to rise. Over one in three (35.8 per cent) people currently unemployed have been out of work for at least a year, the highest proportion since May 1997.

Number of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance for at least 12 months by region

Source: nomisweb (It is not possible to compare current long-term claimant levels with previous years due to changes in the classification of people on the Flexible new Deal and Future Jobs Fund, and those currently on the Work Programme.)

The TUC wants the government to do more to tackle long-term unemployment. Over a quarter of a million 16-24 year-olds have been out of work for at least a year, which can have a terrible scarring effect on their careers.

The TUC has serious concerns about the adequacy of the Work Programme, which is poorly funded and is failing to get people back into work. Recent figures found that just 3.5 per cent of people referred onto the Work Programme were able to find a job for a decent length of time.

The government’s decision to cut resources for employment support has contributed to rising long-term unemployment at a time when the rest of the labour market is improving.

To see full breakdown of Local Authority data download here