VILLIERS: NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF WORK IS A TRAGEDY

MP for Chipping Barnet, Theresa Villiers, has described the dramatic increase in the number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work in Chipping Barnet, as "a tragedy."

Since May, unemployment in Chipping Barnet has continued to rise overall by 5.4%, but the figures reveal that it is young people aged between 16 and 24 who have been particularly hard hit. The number of young people out of work in Chipping Barnet has risen by 74% in the last year alone and currently stands at its highest since Labour came to power in 1997.

Theresa said, “These latest figures reveal just how devastating the recession is for people of all ages across my constituency. For young people though, who have either finished school or graduated from college or university, it must be particularly disheartening to have put in so much hard work, only to find so few job opportunities available to them at the end of it. These figures represent a tragedy for the young people involved.”

“It is vital that the Government does more to help businesses through the recession and to get credit flowing again. Until then, companies will continue to make cut backs or simply not recruit, and it is young people trying to break into the job market for the first time, who are being particularly badly affected. It is also important that at a time of economic difficulty, no talent is wasted and that young people, who will be our future work force, receive the support and training they need.”

“The Conservatives have set out a series of proposals to tackle the growing problem of youth unemployment and to get credit flowing again, such as offering businesses cash incentives to take on young people and the creation of 100,000 new apprenticeship places. These are the kind of positive measures needed to tackle unemployment and set the economy on the road to recovery.”

These unemployment figures were published by Nomis, an organisation run by the University of Durham on behalf of the Office for National Statistics. They show unemployment amongst 16 – 24-year-olds in Chipping Barnet increased from 305 in August 2008 to 530 in August 2009 – an increase of 74%. Nationwide, 16 to 24-year-olds account for 38% of all unemployment. Unemployment overall in Chipping Barnet increased from 1869 in May 2009 to 1969 in August 2009 – a 5.4% increase.