Unemployment Levels 2024-05-13
2024-05-13
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from the government's efforts to reduce unemployment and seeks specific steps being taken.
What steps his Department is taking to help reduce unemployment?
We are bearing down on unemployment, not least through the sterling work of our JCP work coaches, as well as through the back to work plan that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor recently announced.
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Q2
Direct Answer
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The MP is hosting a jobs fair and identifies transport access as a significant barrier for potential employees.
Will the Secretary of State set out what if any support is available to help as many people get into some of the fantastic opportunities we have in North Warwickshire and Bedworth?
I thank my hon. Friend for the extraordinary work that he does locally to support people into work. He asks what support there is for those with travel challenges. The flexible support fund is there for a variety of different uses, but one is to help with exactly the issue he raises for the first three months of employment.
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Q3
Partial Answer
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The MP is concerned about local job loss and asks for specifics on what the Department does in collaboration with businesses.
Could the Secretary of State tell the House what his Department is doing to work with employers to get people back to work?
We do a huge amount with employers both at national level and at local jobcentres. If my hon. Friend has not already engaged with his local jobcentre staff, I strongly recommend that he does so. The results speak for themselves. Unemployment is around half the level in 2010 under the last Labour Government. We have near record levels of employment. Youth unemployment under this Government has fallen more than 40%; under Labour, it went up by almost 45%.
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Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP raises concerns about more than 39,000 south-west companies being in significant economic distress according to a report.
What steps is the Minister taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that those businesses, which provide vital jobs, find a way out of significant economic distress?
As we have set out, there is a clear and detailed back to work plan, which is working for the reasons that I have given. If the hon. Lady has examples of specific employers under the distress that she outlined, the Minister for Employment will be happy to look at what we may be able to do as a Department in her constituency.
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Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP challenges the Government's claims about universal credit helping people into work and raises concerns about youth inactivity.
Will the Minister acknowledge what is going on today: for the first time ever, we have 3 million inactive 16 to 24-year-olds?
I have already set out that we have universal credit, as the hon. Lady identified, as well as WorkWell and universal support to address exactly the individuals to whom she referred. On the general point, it should be pointed out that economic inactivity is below the OECD, G7 and European Union average, and lower than in France, Italy and the United States and in every year under the last Labour Government.
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Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP questions the truthfulness of Government claims regarding their impact on employment and economic inactivity.
If the Tory plan was working, the OBR would have forecast an increasing employment rate. But what is the truth? Not only is employment forecast to go down, but the forecast was downgraded in response to the Government's policies. That's the truth, isn't it?
Our record speaks for itself: 4 million more people in work since 2010. Unemployment has halved since the last Labour Government, on the hon. Lady's watch. Youth unemployment has fallen by more than 40%; under her watch it rose by more than 40%. As I have stated, the last Labour Government's record on economic inactivity is that it was higher than today every single year.
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