LONDON: The number of long-term unemployment claimants has fallen by 9% in Dundee in the last year. And figures from the Department of Work and Pensions show there has been a drop of 27% in the number of claimants in the city since 2010. Moira Cambridge, Department of Work and Pensions customer service manager, said: “The figures for Dundee are looking really positive, with a 9% drop in long-term claimants this year and a 27% drop since 2010 and this all shows Dundee is moving in the right direction.”
In May, there were 2,050 fewer people claiming out-of-work benefits compared with May 2013. However, despite the positive trend, the city continues to have higher rates of claimants than both the Scottish and UK averages. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that there were 3,325 people claiming out-of-work benefits in May — 3.4% of the working age population. The number of people claiming out-of-work benefits gives an indication of those who were unemployed but willing and able to work. In 2015, there were 3,400 people claiming out-of-work benefits, which was also 3.4% of those eligible to work.
The previous year, the figure stood at 4,180, representing 4.2%. The gap between Dundee and the rest of the country was at its highest in 2013. The figures come as the Tele continues its Let’s Get Dundee Working campaign. Jane McEwen, work service manager for the DWP in Dundee, said: “I think there are a lot of influences that can affect these figures and there have been unemployment issues in the city in the past. “Although we may only see a reduction in claimants of perhaps 1% here and there, if that steadily continues the impact will be huge over time.”
