Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that 67 local people have moved off Job Seekers Allowance and into employment in the last month of 2015.
This is a milestone for Watford marking that there are now less than 1000 people on unemployment benefits for the first time since 2008. This means just one person in a hundred in the Watford constituency is unemployed and looking for work.
Figures released today (20 January 2016) show that youth unemployment in Watford is at the lowest level ever recorded by the Office for National Statistics.
This means there are 130 young people (aged between 18 and 24) who are looking for work in Watford, representing a three quarters fall since 2010. There are nearly 1500 people currently undertaking an apprenticeship in the area too. The news comes as Richard prepares to launch a new campaign to encourage Watford businesses to take on an apprentice.
Overall, nearly 100 local people moved into work last month in the local area. Nationally, 588,000 more people are in work than a year ago and the youth unemployment rate is at its lowest rate ever recorded.
In addition to this, wages are rising faster than inflation, putting money back into working people’s pockets. Taxes for working people have been reduced, with the typical tax payer paying £800 a year less in tax than in 2010.
In the Summer Budget 2015, the Living Wage was announced, which will mean that a full time worker on the minimum wage will be nearly £1,000 a year better off and £5,000 a year by 2020. The National Living Wage will be £7.20 an hour by April and over £9 per hour by 2020.
Speaking about this news Richard Harrington, Watford’s MP, said: “When I became the MP in 2010, nearly 2,000 people were out of work and on benefits, with them and their families suffering from the effects of Labour’s financial crisis. I am so pleased that the number has now halved and people are better able to provide for their families.
Tackling youth unemployment is difficult, but the hard work of job seekers and the job centre has paid off. In the last 5 years, 4,000 apprenticeships were started, and there are about 1500 people undertaking one right now. Getting good work experience and earning well early in life really sets young people up for a bright future. The local job centre has made great strides in reducing unemployment and of course this is also down to the hard work of each person looking for a job.”
Watford Job Centre continues to hold training programmes and work with employers to help people looking for work. The Range, a home and garden store, which replaced Homebase on St Albans Road, chose to recruit from the Job Centre, and hired 50 people as a result.