Jobless total in festive fall

UNEMPLOYMENT in Oldham has fallen by 123 in the last month, with 7,569 now out of work.

There are 5,089 jobless men, a drop of 90, and 2,480 unemployed women, a fall of 33.

But as the falls are likely due to major employers in home shopping, distribution and cake manufacturing taking on temporary staff for Christmas, the monthly figures are still up on the same period in 2010. There are now 1,266 more people in Oldham out of work than at this time last year.

Nationally, total unemployment rose by 129,000 in the latest quarter to 2.62 million, the worst figure since 1994, giving a jobless rate of 8.3 per cent, the highest since 1996.

Youth unemployment has reached a record high of more than a million, with more 16 to 24-year-olds now out of work than at any time since 1992. The number of jobless young people jumped by 67,000 in the three months to September to 1.02 million. The total, the highest since comparable records began 19 years ago, includes 286,000 people in full-time education looking for part-time work.