Unemployment Continues to Fall

12.25.03pm GMT Mon 31st Jan 2005

The latest jobless figures show that the fall in unemployment over the last few years continues. The total of claimants for unemployment benefit in both the borough's constituencies has fallen to 1000 or less for the first time. And the borough is doing better than surrounding areas in cutting unemployment to very low levels

Dec 1997 Dec 2003 Dec 2004 (% unemployed)

Twickenham 1316 1037 940 1.7

Richmond Park 1537 1248 1000 1.8

Kingston 1559 1256 1248 2.1

Brentford and Isleworth 2389 1548 1535 2.5

Feltham and Heston 2142 1609 1539 3.1

Vincent Cable said: "We are fortunate to be in a part of London where there is a booming economy. By contrast, a few miles down the road in Vauxhall, unemployment is 8% and it is 10% in Camberwell and Peckham. And the long boom of the last decade continues".

"But there is no room for complacency. The claimant count excludes a lot of people in late middle age who want to work but have largely given up looking and are living off their savings. It also excludes a lot of people with disabilities and mental illness who find it difficult to get work. That is why the New Deal needs to be redesigned."