Men lead the way as unemployment drops again (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Men lead the way as unemployment drops again

10:47am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in South Essex

JOB seekers in Thurrock have been givne a boost by the news that unemployment has continued to fall in the borough.

The most recent figures, released in mid-July, show that overall the number of people claiming job seeker’s allowance fell by 0.2 per cent in June, as almost 200 people in the borough found work.

In February of this year, unemployment reached its highest level in 26 years, but now it is at its lowest since December 2010.

The decrease in unemployment was largely caused by a swathe of the borough’s men finding work.

Almost all of those 200 people who found work were men, with just six women who were claiming job seekers’ allowance coming off of the benefit.

The percentage of women unemployed in the borough stayed the same, with three per cent still seeking work.

Youth unemployment also came down in June, with 55 18 to 22-year-olds finding work. There was a small increase in employment for those between the age of 25 and 49, 110 people from that age range found work.

These figures are positive, given that in June, one of the borough’s biggest employers, the Petroplus Coryton oil refinery, began its process of winding down, before it was sold to a consortium.

Last week, the borough also received the news it is amongst the best in the country for the opportunties available to youngsters, largely due to the number of full-time jobs on offer and jobs that are about to be created.

Thurrock is on a par with the rest of the UK in terms of unemployment. Around 3.8 per cent of the national population is on JSA, which is the same percentage as in Thurrock.

The borough still has 0.8 per cent higher unemployment than the regional average though Employment minister Chris Grayling said unemployment is “still much too high”.

But he added: “I’m at least encouraged, in what are difficult times economically, that we’re seeing improvements, across the board.”