Unemployment drops across the region

Manchester credited for rise in workers.

Published 17th Aug 2016

Manchester’s been credited with helping unemployment fall in the North West between April and June of this year.

Unemployment across the region fell by almost 5% and one leading business expert says it’s partly due to Manchester’s growth.

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce representative Christian Spence said: “The picture nationally, North West and Manchester continues to look very positive.”

When asked why he thought that unemployment had decreased, Spence said “I think the health, vibrancy and the focus on the Northern Powerhouse,”

“We are at the heart of a big, vibrant city that is creating a lot of jobs.”

A national report has been released with the figures of regional unemployment across the country. It seems as if there is a common trend, with a few exceptions including London, that shows an overall decrease in people not in work.

The report shows that unemployment in the North West has fallen by 3,000 which is the lowest it’s been for eight years. This can be seen as a very positive sign for not only the country but also our region. Although specific figures for the city have not been released for unemployment, statistics have been released showing an overall decrease in the number of people claiming job seekers allowance in Manchester.

The only slight increase in unemployment is seen in the under 25’s and according to Spence, this is a very common trend during this time of the year as students are leaving full-time education and searching for jobs. However, the presence of the mass number of students are helping the economy in many ways.

He also claims that this decrease in unemployment means that Greater Manchester and the North West are either level or outperforming the national average.

It won’t be until figures for the next quarter are released that we get a picture of the effects of Britain’s decision to leave the EU, today’s figures have been welcomed by many in the business world as a positive.