BRADFORD West's unemployment rate continues to rise inexorably.
"My constituency is in the forefront of bearing the brunt of the Government's failed economic strategy," said George Galloway MP. "In December it was the seventh highest in the country for unemployment - 13.2% of the active population between 16 and 64 were out of work - but worse than that the rise appears inexorable. Year-on-year comparison, the real measurement, shows a massive 9% increase on December 2011. This is a human disaster for thousands of families in Bradford West. It must have been a truly miserable Christmas for them. My heart goes out to them.
'It is intolerable that ordinary families are paying for the folly of bankers. The government needs to create real jobs, in infrastructure, in housing, in services specifically targeted on Bradford. I will be urgently approaching the prime minister and the chancellor of the exchequer to point out the effect their policies are having and asking for urgent action to put people here back in work," he said.
Note:
The number of unemployed claimants in Bradford West constituency in December 2012 was 5,501. This represents a rate of 13.2% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64, the 7th highest of the 650 UK constituencies. (1st = highest rate of unemployment, 650th = lowest rate of unemployment.)
The number of claimants is 401 higher than in December 2011 and 36 lower than in November 2012. These data are not seasonally adjusted.Source; House of Commons Library.