Jobless fall

UNEMPLOYMENT in Oldham has fallen in the last month — bucking the national trend.

More people are employed in the borough compared with last year, despite the national figures reaching an 11-year high.

Figures released yesterday show as of October 9, 3.4 per cent of Oldham were unemployed.

A breakdown reveals there are 3,388 men unemployed and a further 1,085 women, bringing the total to 4,473. This compares with 3,415 men and 1,134 women, in September — a fall of 76. It is believed the fall in unemployment is due to more people being employed for Christmas.

Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher said: “This is very good news to buck the national trend in what is otherwise an extremely bleak landscape. It just shows what Oldham can do and we can do even more.”

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas said: “Oldham’s economy is a different kettle of fish to what it was 20 years ago. We must fight for every job and our firms have survived decades of restructuring, many of them are as fit as a fiddle.”

Official figures for the three months to September showed that 1.82 million people nationally were out of work, an increase of 140,000 from the previous quarter.