Push on persistent unemployment
The Government has promised to tackle persistent pockets of unemployment.
Today’s announcement ties in with other announcements this week by the Deputy Prime Minister on economic regeneration in the North as six out of ten of the areas identified as worst affected with joblessness are in the North-East, North-West and the Humber.
The measures, outlined by the Minister for Social Exclusion Jeff Rooker, are not fundamentally new, but they strengthen existing guidance.
On housing, there will be a promotion of low-cost housing ownership through job centres, and advice to social landlords on how to create mixed income communities.
The “welfare to work” programme will be continued, with a focus on people wishing to leave benefits and support for those with unregistered businesses seeking to go legitimate.
Mr Rooker said: “Living in an area where there are many other workless people can damage a person’s life chances, especially those of children and young people.
“The Government is therefore committed to removing barriers to work for those who can. These new measures aim to do just that. We want to make sure the benefits of record employment are felt in every neighbourhood in England.”
The policies are based on a new report from the Social Exclusion Union which found that that worklessness in the tenth worst streets is 23 times higher than in the best, and that self-employment in these areas is half the rate of England as a whole.
Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced a £100 million growth fund for the North, which aims to encourage the growth of more jobs and investment, and close the economic gap with the rest of the country.
The money is comprised of £50 million from the ODPM and £50 million from the northern regional development agencies.
Key aims include the development of growth strategies of the major northern cities, increasing the number of business start ups, more action on affordable housing, better transport and attracting talented individuals back to the region.
