Labour fails jobless as Edinburgh North & Leith records highest city unemployment

7.52.20pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 17th Jul 2009

Kevin Lang believes the Government must do more to help those out of work.

Kevin Lang has demanded action from the Labour Government after new figures showed a steep rise in unemployment, with Edinburgh North & Leith recording the highest levels of jobless in the city.

National statistics published this week have showed that the number of unemployed has increased to 2.38 million across the UK, the highest level for fourteen years, with jobless levels in Lothian doubling over the last 12 months.

In Edinburgh, the number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance has increased to 18,823. Edinburgh North & Leith had the highest number of unemployed anywhere in the Capital, with 2,577 people out of work.

However, new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have shown that the number of people facing delays in receiving Jobseekers Allowance has trebled in the last year, with the number of people waiting more than three weeks quadrupling.

Kevin Lang said,

"With more people seeking jobs than there are vacancies, many will become reliant on Jobseekers Allowance to provide them with an income. However, in too many cases, the Government is failing to ensure those who are out of work get the money they deserve.

"It is clear that the Government's savage cuts to Jobcentres are now coming back to haunt them. The tragedy is that many of those suffering most from Labour's recession are left to struggle for weeks whilst their applications are processed. The unemployed can ill afford this kind of Government failure."