Lammy: Work Programme dismally inadequate

• Highest # of JSA claimants in London, 4th highest in the UK
• Tottenham’s unemployment figures the highest for 12 years
• There are now 47 job seekers for every FT vacancy
• Northumberland Park has more unemployed than the Deputy PM’s whole constituency
• Lammy: “Government’s Work Programme is dismally inadequate”

Figures released this week showed that UK unemployment has risen by 118,000 over the past three months, and now stands at 2.69 million .  As ever, the pain is being felt the hardest in Tottenham, with 6,624 people claiming job seekers allowance (JSA), the highest in 12 years . Unemployment is now higher in Tottenham than any other constituency in London  and the 4th highest in the country.

This is the 17th month in a row that unemployment has stood above 6,000 in Tottenham and there are no signs that point towards a change in fortunes anytime soon. Since the launch of the Government’s Work Programme in June, the number of people out of employment for more than six months in Tottenham has continued to grow .

The problem in Tottenham is particularly acute in the northern end of the constituency, with Northumberland Park ward having the largest number of JSA-claimants in the capital, with 1,076 people out of work . This one neighbourhood in Tottenham has more unemployed people looking for work than Nick Clegg MP’s entire constituency of Sheffield Hallam (1,053 ).

Commenting on the figures, David Lammy MP said:

 “These figures are a clear indication that the Government needs to change course. The parallels between the damage being inflicted on the country by this Government and the Tories’ during the 1980s are getting greater by the day.

“The Government’s Work Programme is dismally inadequate. It is dramatically failing to provide sufficient support and assistance to help people find work. Despite the Government’s rhetoric, things in Tottenham are not getting any better. If anything, the figures demonstrate they are getting worse.

“What we need now is for the government and the Mayor to put together a credible plan for jobs and growth.”