The north west has seen the biggest rise in unemployment of any region in the country as public sector cuts begin to bite and firms stop recruiting amid worries over economic growth.
Unemployment in the region grew by more than 35,000 in the three months to June, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The number of unemployed in the north west now stands at 300,000, or 8.8 per cent of the working population.
It grew more than 13 per cent between April and June, compared with 1.8 per cent nationally to 2.49 million, and triggered a call for government action to revive the labour market.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in Greater Manchester also rose by 3.1 per cent from June to July, and by 6.4 per cent on the year, to 79,075.
That includes 1,000 more young people aged 16 to 24, who now make up more than 30 per cent of the total.
Mike Emmerich, chief executive of the Commission for the New Economy, the body tasked with creating economic growth in Greater Manchester, said: "We have been expecting a rise in claimant numbers and the latest figures are unsurprising, especially given the challenges faced by the economy.
"While the trend this month appears to have been exacerbated by people coming off incapacity benefits and being moved on to the Jobseeker's Allowance register as part of the government’s Work Capability Assessment, the underlying unemployment rate is continuing to rise.
"In light of the events of last week, the rise in youth unemployment gives particular cause for concern and providing new employment opportunities for youngsters in Greater Manchester must remain a priority over the coming months." All districts in Greater Manchester saw a monthly increase in the number of jobseekers. Prof Jill Rubery, of Manchester Business School, said: "Flat economic growth and government sector job cuts are having a major impact on employment opportunities and this downturn in demand is going to continue to fuel the unemployment statistics." Dr Brian Sloan, head of business and economic policy at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: "Even allowing for an expected rise due to public sector losses and government policy, the recruitment intentions of private sector firms are not reaching fruition.
"Government must put in place policies that are bold and decisive in order to get the labour market moving again." Chancellor George Osborne said: "With what is going on in the world economy and with world markets, they (the figures) are not entirely unexpected.
"There is some good news that employment, those in work, is still going up. We are creating jobs in this economy as well as jobs being lost." There were 154,000 redundancies nationally between April and June, up 32,000 on the previous quarter and 4,000 on the year. Dr Neil Bentley, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: "Addressing the persistently high level of youth unemployment has to be a priority, with numbers of 18 to 24 year-olds out of work continuing to rise."
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Paints a completely picture from the one Bernstein tries to paint about the economy of Greater Manchester in MEN's Business Weekly.
Personally, I think the North needs a firm representation and a voice today. Scotland: Alex Salmond. The south of England: Cameron. The north of England: next to nothing in the way of strong representation and a capable political leadership for its interests.
There will be more after the riots.
And this is just the beginning.
When 'the cuts' - together with increased commuting costs, higher energy bills, expensive staple foodstuffs, costlier mortgage and rent demands - really kick in, you'll realise how good a coalition government is for this country. Won't you?
It was you, the ordinary, grey people, so loved by Cameron, Clegg and Osborne, who maxed your credit cards, re-mortgaged the family pile and spent like cash was going out of fashion - 'b*gger tomorrow, we'll worry about that when it comes'.
You engineered your own decline and the banks were happy to let you. Encouraged, you, even... and millions fell for it.
Never mind, the world's financial failings - with even mighty Germany in the 'brown stuff' - can all be laid at the door of the Labour party because... it wasn't 'you' - was it?
Unemployed or won't work? Over a million people were 'unemployed' for nine years of a decade which witnessed unprecedented economic growth while another 20% of the working population of Manchester and L'pool were on 'invalidity'. Yet amazingly, the Eastern Europeans who washed up in these 'employment blackspots' managed to find gainful employment. Let's inproduce a system whereby no one gets more on benefits than someone working full time on minimum wage and then we'll see the true level of unemployment. Why should a single mother with two kids work when she can enjoy a far higher standard of living at the tax-payers' expence. Let's stop paying people to steal from the labour of others.
Oh dear, what a disaster for the Government.
Get Labour back in - they'll make it all better.
(Not)
Before making any knee-jerk comments, I'd like to see how many job vacancies there are. in the NW. Legislation could probably sort this out.
Is half of City's squad classed as being unemployed? Well nobody seems to want to employ them do they?
have they only just noticed, im willing to work and its hard enough for me.
So, that is a 13% jump in spite of all the government has done lately to massage the unemployment figures? Shall we blame the last Labour government? Or God? Or the rioters in Salford? Or the Smurfs? IN fact, shall we just blame ANYBODY at all, APART from the few hundred or so people who are actually responsible? Yeah, lets do that because we are, after all, a bunch of working class, tabloid reading, brain dead morons arent we.
Some of the major building firms are now opting out of the joint industries boards scheme to allow them to employ even more eastern european labour, without them needing the full qualifications required for the job and enabling them to pay less. Its stuff like this which is increasing resentment in the industry and not helping local unemployment levels. Its killing off the trade and peoples careers.
Today’s Economic resourcing models for industry include no balance on social or long term vision. Registering as unemployed for 50+ is clearly flawed as 1. “Joint means testing” automatically excludes many millions of any support and 2. the Government’s reduction to 30 years NI contributions also negates peoples need to “sign on” as unemployed, and we must question the numbers of unemployed and the massive invisible workforce. The vision of all 50+ able to support Care in the private sector future, is totally incorrect, with younger also to this fate. The Government should action these issues immediately.