25 people chase every London job in parts of capital

Brendan Barber: 'While bankers are back popping champagne corks and picking up mega bonuses in the City, many ordinary Londoners are struggling to find work'
12 April 2012

Many Londoners are struggling to find work, with 25 jobseekers chasing every vacancy in parts of the capital, according to a new study today.

The TUC found huge differences across London, with those living in the Eastern half finding it much harder to get a job than in the West.

The average number of jobseekers per vacancy was nine, compared with a British-wide figure of six, but it varied from 25 in Waltham Forest and 22 in Hackney to three in Kingston upon Thames and Westminster and four in Richmond and Hillingdon.

As the UK moved towards a North-South divide on employment, London seemed to be witnessing an East-West divide, said the TUC.

Around half of the 33 London boroughs had seen an increase in the number of jobseekers per vacancy in the past year, according to the research.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "While bankers are back popping champagne corks and picking up mega bonuses in the City, many ordinary Londoners are struggling to find work.

"Ministers claim there are plenty of jobs out there, but with more than 20 job seekers chasing each vacancy in parts of the capital, there are terrible employment blackspots that cause huge economic and social damage to local areas.

"Strong and sustainable economic growth is the only way to tackle our jobs crisis but the Government's deep and rapid spending cuts are jeopardising our chances of recovery.

"The Chancellor urgently needs to put forward a plan B before our economy heads back towards recession and even more people lose their jobs."

The Department for Work and Pensions said jobs were available.

A spokesman said: "We are focused on restoring the economy and supporting private sector jobs growth and latest official figures show there are 100,000 more people in work now in London than in May 2010, driven by increases in private sector employment."

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