STOCKPORT UNEMPLOYMENT NOW HIGHER THAN WHEN LABOUR CAME TO POWER AS AN EXTRA 1,000 PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOBS

3.00.00pm GMT Thu 19th Mar 2009

Over a thousand people were added to Stockport's dole queue last month as unemployment rose to its highest level in the borough since before Labour came to power, according to research from Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell.

Unemployment rose to 7,361 across the Borough in February, in a month that saw an extra 1,002 people lose their jobs. Unemployment in Stockport is now higher than before Labour came to power in 1997.

Across Greater Manchester there was a rise in the unemployment figures of 8,100 to a total of 72,783.

Job vacancies are getting harder hard to find in Stockport, with Mr Stunell recently highlighting that there was one vacancy for every four job seekers in the borough, alongside recent figures from the Ministry of Justice showing that 283 companies went bust in the last three months

Commenting, Andrew Stunell said:

"The recession continues to bite, and in Stockport this month it is biting harder than ever with over 1,000 people losing their jobs, and unemployment now reaching a higher level than before Labour came to power.

"It is vital that the Government offers help to the millions who are struggling to keep their heads above water. Income tax should be cut, and the banks must pass on the cuts in interest rates to reduce the cost of borrowing and keep people in their homes, and businesses open.

"The government must boost unemployment services and retraining courses properly. Too many local people aren't getting the services they need, and their shut-down of many local job centres makes it harder to cope with rising joblessness in a recession.

"The Prime Minister promised to abolish boom and bust, yet for the people of Stockport its unemployment that's booming, and their businesses that are going bust.

"The banks had their bail-out, it's time ordinary people had theirs."

ENDS