Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has expressed concern at recent employment statistics and joined calls for the Government to act now to avoid a crisis in unemployment.
Before the Coronavirus crisis, there were 1,985 people in the Denton and Reddish constituency claiming unemployment benefits. The number in July 2020 had almost doubled to 3,935. This represents 7.2% of the population aged 16-64, higher than the UK rate of 6.3%. Over 20% of claimants in Denton and Reddish in July 2020 were aged between 18 and 24
A further 13,400 people in the constituency were furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in July 2020 – 31% of the eligible workforce. Around 3,000 Denton and Reddish residents made a claim under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to the end of June 2020.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) is due to finish at the end of October.
Gwynne is supporting Labour’s five-point plan for jobs:
- Fight for jobs: fix the furlough scheme to support people in the worst-hit industries.
- Back our businesses: with a £1.7 billion fightback fund to stop firms going under and save our high streets
- Leave no-one behind: with targeted support for areas forced back into lockdown.
- Keep workers safe: by protecting workers’ rights, by boosting sick pay, making workplaces safe, and giving our NHS and care services the resources to stop a second wave.
- Drive job creation: by investing in infrastructure, speeding up progress to zero-carbon economy and improving access to skills and training.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“I’m really concerned by the latest jobs figures for the Denton and Reddish constituency; unemployment has almost doubled since the Coronavirus outbreak began and I’m concerned that it will grow significantly again when support schemes like furlough are ended.
“We need the Government to take the looming unemployment crisis more seriously and to work to avert it.
“I’m concerned that their current approach will not do this and that’s why I’d urge them to take on the kind of flexible approach that the Labour Party has laid out.”