Unison statistics: Five people chasing every job in Weymouth and Portland (From Dorset Echo)

Unison statistics: Five people chasing every job in Weymouth and Portland

10:04am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News

MORE than five people are chasing every job in Weymouth and Portland, according to the Unison union.

It claims that the borough is one of the worst places in the south west for the number of jobseekers chasing vacancies.

Unison said that there 5.2 people after every position in the Weymouth and Portland council area compared with 1.4 in West Dorset.

Joanne Kaye, South West regional secretary for Unison, said: “The scale of the ongoing jobs crisis is deeply worrying.

“Three long years of cuts – with more to come – and there are not enough jobs to go around.”

In comparison, other cases in the South West include: In Plymouth there are 5.9 unemployed people chasing every job.

In Cornwall there are 4.3 unemployed people for each available post.

In Bournemouth there are 3.9 claimants for each job opportunity and in Torbay there are 4.7 unemployed people chasing each job vacancy.

Ms Kaye added: “The government has got it wrong on the recession and it has sacrificed our recovery.

“As well as laying waste to our public services, cuts have a stranglehold on the private sector.

“The government does have a choice. It can use the budget to outline a bold strategy for jobs and growth. Make people feel secure in their jobs and they are more likely to spend.

“Give public sector workers a decent pay rise and more money will flow through tills in local shops and businesses, helping our beleaguered high streets. The most damaging thing that the government could do right now is to plough on regardless with its reckless anti-growth, no hope, cuts strategy.”