Jobless figure up by 10% in past month
Wednesday 24th March 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
Head of statistics Duncan Gibaut
UNEMPLOYMENT has jumped by ten per cent in a month to hit an all-time record of 1,320 for the end of February.
Almost a quarter of those out of work are teenagers and eight per cent of the total – 110 individuals – have been unemployed for a year or more.
The number of people registered as unemployed and actively seeking work is 290 greater than at the same time last year, according to the registered unemployment figures published by the States Statistics Unit today.
It states that almost two-thirds of people registered as unemployed are receiving benefits from the States.
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I’m sure it doesn’t help the morale of those people, seeing such a smug picture of Duncan Gibaut next to the article. Jersey is an island built on status, that’s why we have a quallies system. Being unemployed anywhere in the world must be demoralising, but in Jersey it’s akin to having leprosy
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This is just the tip of the iceberg, that’s the sad thing.
And if you’ve been a careful saver all your life, you don’t get any Income Support until you’ve eaten it up down to your last x thousand. Where’s the incentive to save when you have to see it all leak away before you get what others are getting?
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I,ve said it before but I really do believe the steady rise in unemployment among the school leavers is mostly due to the clot who made the decision to apply the minimum wage rate to this age group.When you can employ a mature and able grown-up from Portugal, Poland, UK etc for the same money?…..it’s a no-brainer.
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Now here’s one for States Members to sort out, if we are coming out of a recession, why are the jobless figures still going up?!!?
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And public sector workers want to strike for above inflation pay rises!
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Stop giving out benefits… Simples!
“two-thirds of people registered as unemployed are receiving benefits from the States.”
Therefore only 22% (290) are “actively seeking work”, what are the other 78% doing to contribute to the community.
So what’s the incentive for many of these people to find a job if they are financially supported by the state?
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Sorry but any society that does not invest in it’s youth or support it’s ageing population is failing in its duty.
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Think fedd is right this is the tip of the iceberg / only the beginning. Jersey normally lags the UK by 1 to 2 years so I suspect were only beginning our recession not ending it.
States members need to do more to look after the Islands youth or risk the problem that plague UK cities where past generations of unemployed youth caused many of the modern problems.
Mark
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Stop giving out benefits?
Where are these benefits then?
I certainly don’t get any.
Oh thats right because I worked hard have a mortgage.
Won’t get a penny unless I sell the house then spend all the money left, if there is any.
Only then when I am in rental accommodation can I claim income support and rent rebate.
I am not asking for my mortgage to be paid but a loan or something towards it for a few months would be appreciated, until I get another job. Which at the moment are few and far between.
Until you are unemployed at a time like this you have NO idea what it is like.
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I expect it to get worse. Jersey usually lags 18 months behind the UK. Add in the demographic timebomb brewing and it is going to be very interesting times that we live in as they say in China.
I have to ask why think of raising the retirement age when we haven’t got enough jobs for the youth of the island?
Fedd Dupp as far as I am concerned there is no incentive to save in Jersey. Even if you survive into retirement you risk losing your assets to the states because of crippling costs of elderly care!
It wouldn’t surprise me if more didn’t bother to make any effort as at the end of the day the state will pick up the tab for those who “tune out” won’t they?
martin they could always do away with the minimum wage and then employers could pay £1 an hour if they really wanted to. There is no point pushing the boat out too far if you don’t have to.
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30something.
Firstly READ THE ARTICLE.
“The number of people registered as unemployed and actively seeking work is 290 GREATER than at the same time last year”
Secondly, to be eligible for social support, you have to be actively seeing work, and attending weekly meetings at social security.
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With all the recent publicity over the jobless figure, it’s hardly surprising the number has gone up.
Wasn’t it quoted recently “we do not know how many have not registered as unemployed”?
Also, hasn’t there just been a load laid off from JT?
Another couple of months and you will have even more – students who have completed their GCSE’s who cannot get work.
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30something (6) only 22% (290) are “actively seeking work”
Why don’t you give up your job, take a month off and start again. May not be so easy?
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I have recently been turned down a job from a large construction company.I have been working here for the past 6months on contract.I was told the spiel about employing locally which i dont contest but they seem to be contradicting themselves when I noticed on an international recruitment site they are advertising in Polish for plasterers and bricklayers.These are relatively popular trades.I find it hard to believe that out of the 1320 unemployed none are in this trade.It seems to me that this company and others are taking advantage of cheap foreign labour which happened in my country and now we have a record 13% on benefits.
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Over 1300 registered at Social Security as unemployed, many more, e.g., finance staff do not register as unemployed, there is no point.
The banking industry, hitherto, a big employer of school leavers now employ no one, there is no industry in Jersey either, jobs are a bit thin on the ground, many kids fortunate enough to get to University do not return to the Island.
Starter homes at over £400,000, it is a joke. Jersey is losing it`s youth at a tremendous rate.
I personally do not see a quick fix.
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#9
Agree.
I don,t get any benefits either,although never applied.
The thrifty are penalised,the workshy rewarded.
Better to blow your money while alive,your a long time dead.
Sell house go on spree cruises,las vegas every exotic place you want,when money gone get states flat,reduced rent income support,free doctor dentist and many more services,the sky,s the limit.
And all courtesy of the taxpayers.
I,m putting ideas in my own head!
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States workers take note!!! This is what it is like in the real world!
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tree hugger the real world is also like Iraq, Afghanistan, Chad and Haiti. Doesn’t mean anyone would want to be there though does it?
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No9
sell everything give it to the kids,
it does not pay to work hard anymore,so everyone just do as advised then you will get all the help you need.
As someone who’s never claimed a penny from social & needed a bit of help recently & got sod all assistance, although very politely must admit!!!
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Valid points Tony why should your house be sold to look after you in old age when others get free care? Some apparently can even bring their relatives in to Jersey for free care look here:-
http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/12/09/health-care-tourists-are-targeting-us-states-told/
I view this as a good kick in the proverbials for the old honest Jersey people who are left not only to pay for others but also to pay for themselves!
A total joke IMHO. Is it any wonder no one wants to pay any tax?
I would have to say it would pay dividends to offload your property to a relative before you need care. I believe seven years at least then you are able to use the system like others do.
Its about time the government got a grip and sorted all these anomalies out IMHO before everyone joins in.
I believe “deaf ears” have a habit of being opened when everyone joins in with whatever it is that is going on.
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Get a grip!
There has been a crisis in the banking system, the worst since 1929, which has caused a severe downturn in the financial services sector, which is largest sector in our economy and stimulates other sectors, yet unemployment here is still less than 1/3 of most developed countries.
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No 15.
There is a point in registering as unemployed. If you don’t, you have to pay employees and employers social security at the maximum rate, irrespective of your income. So at the end of each quarter, you get a bill for approx £1,300. If you register as unemployed you pay nothing.
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The states need to take a serious look at how certain businesses recruit staff.
My fiancee was made redundant early last year and has been surviving on temporary contracts as and when she can get them.
She has seen first hand places which recruit their own nationality regardless of suitability or qualification…….one nationality only seemed to favour Polish and another she saw favoured Irish (needless to say these were the nationalities of the recruiters).
I myself have seen the same situation regarding Portuguese.
Now we all know this is illegal, but what are the authorities doing about it????
It seems that some foreign nationals can step off the boat and straight into a job as long as their recruiters are compatriots!!
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……it is obviously so they only have to pay minimum wage, but what happened to the 5 year rule?
Surely employers have a duty to employ from the local market as a priority and only if there are not enough qualified applicants then can they employ externally?
…..otherwise what is the point of the 5 year employment ruling!
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Personally, I now view my monthly SS contributions as a charitable donation because I know I will never get to see any benefit myself from it if I were to fall on hard times. I just wish I could have more of a say in who gets it!
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22 Dave
I’m not sure that is entirely true.
When my fiancee couln’t get any work she was still expected to find her soc sec contributions.
How I do not know……unless they expected me to pay twice because I was lucky to still be in employment!
The Soc sec even dissuaded her from signing as “unemployed” because she was not entitled to any jobseekers allowance!
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BS Deluxe “When my fiancee couln’t get any work she was still expected to find her soc sec contributions.
How I do not know……unless they expected me to pay twice because I was lucky to still be in employment!”
Do you have to tell Social Security that you are engaged, BSD?
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My unemployed friend gets £278 (this includes rent which is £620 a month).
To match this amount he needs a job which pays 14.5k a year after tax and soc sec (!)
I would not wish unemployment in anyone but how come Jersey is turning into a welfare state?
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Rozel
I’m not sure it is a requirement, but my other half is a very honest person and told them anyway.
The fact is we didn’t get any help from the system and we could barely survive on one wage. My fiancee paid her way as an individual whilst employed so surely she should get help as an individual when she needed it?
What if we had split up the next day? Where would that have left her?
…..or perhaps I should have just broken off the engagement so she could get financial support
The system stinks…..there seems to be no help for those who have actually paid into it when they need it.
I think they need to take “security” out of the title Social Security.
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The situation of outsiders being employed before locals is a disgrace, I don’t care if they’re Polish, English or any other nationality
The problem is, we have a Government with absolutely no backbone
If they were seen to be targeting the Poles or Portuguese for breaking rules, this would be classed as discrimination. It’s far easier to punish the silent majority
This is what’s happening in the UK, and it’s the exact reason why so many law abiding citizens have turned to the BNP
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BS Deluxe (23-26 &29) has seen first hand places which recruit their own nationality regardless of suitability or qualification
Spot on and the Minister is disinterested. There is no effective bar or five year residency rule in Jersey.
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The 5 year rule should mean 5 years! I have recently been made redundant and cannot find a job, regardless of the fact that I am willing to take lower paid roles. My brother is also out of work, and when he applied for a job recently, it was made very clear to him that he wouldn’t be considered as the employer was looking for Polish workers who are cheaper to pay!
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I am also being made redundant at the end of the month. Mortgage, 2 kids and informed by social security that I do not qualify for any assistance until any savings that I have tried to maintain for that rainy day are mostly gone…!
Apart from the fact that I cannot really take my kids away from their Jersey born father, I would be off like a shot! Its too expensive to live here and there is no incentive to work hard and try to contribute to society. I have always had to pay full wack for nursery, etc when there are other children who attended whose parents did not work (but still sent their kids) and did not pay…
It seems to be the less you do – the more handouts you get!
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“The situation of outsiders being employed before locals is a disgrace, I don’t care if they’re Polish, English or any other nationality”
Well, I’m Jersey born and bred and I disagree. If you work hard in Jersey and are willing to go the extra mile you can get a job. The reason why Poles and Maderians get work is because they are unfailingly polite, hard-working and do not complain about their job.
If you moan and complain about the advantages others have I would sooner you left. Just because you are local doesn’t mean you have a right to demand that Jersey become a welfare state.
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Just to set things straight re Social security payments.
You are expected to pay £455 per month SS.
You can freeze the payments, this will affect you pension by 2% for every year you do not pay your SS.
You will not get sick pay.
It will NOT affect hospital admissions or free prescriptions.
I am in this situation.
I totally agree with the sentiments about selling house etc to the kids, but I dont have any otherwise that is what I would do and claim benefits. I dont get any help for all the SS and Tax I have paid since I started work in 1986.
The system stinks.
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donald so paying less has nothing to do with it IYHO then?
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Sorry to hear about your situation 35. I hope it resolves itself soon.
I think most people would even give their house to their children if it meant it kept it out of the state’s clutches IMHO.
If Jersey is allowing outsiders to do this:-
http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/12/09/health-care-tourists-are-targeting-us-states-told/
then who could blame anyone for protecting their hard earnt property? It is afterall the children’s inheritance, isn’t it?
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No 35, thank you for laying down the facts. You don’t have to pay SS while unemployed but there are consequences. A lot of ex office workers/professionals aren’t registered as unemployed because they have not bothered to register. You can catch up on the stamp for retirement later when you get back in employment. The point being there are lots of unemployed people who are looking for work who don’t appear in the unemployment statistics.
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Donald Pond # 34 said, “The reason why Poles and Maderians get work is because they are unfailingly polite, hard-working and do not complain about their job.” I totally agree; the work ethics of Brits is often nowhere near as good as that of our European neighbours.
The media reports show that Jersey is in the middle of a recession, yet States employees (I was one myself for a number of years) are demanding pay rises, that reportedly the Island simply can not afford at this time.
If the States are being honest, instead of whinging, it should be all hands to the pumps to ensure that the island’s economy stabilises. That needs leadership that the Island seems to be lacking. Messrs Le Sueur and Ozouf need to be open and transparent and tell it as it really is.
It isn’t all about reputations or egos, it is about the welfare of the population of an island. It’s about people being able to pay bills, feed and clothe their families and themselves, to have shelter and decent health care. To have law and order and a fire and rescue service and education.
During these reported difficult economic times, those lucky people who have secure jobs, shouldn’t be seeking pay rises if the States can really not afford to pay them. Look at your own household budgets, you shouldn’t spend on items or services that are unecessery.
I am fortunate enough to be in full time employment and I have a pension, but I realise that neither is guaranteed. I don’t mean to sound self righteous, however if I thought I could protect my job and my pension by accepting less until the Island recovered, then I’d imagine the sacrifice would be worth it.
I guess a major issue, is the lack of respect that Islanders have for their politicians and the evident lack of respect many policitians have for the people they are supposed to serve. They need to be up front and totally honest about the real state of the Island’s economy, rather than worry about the blame culture for unemployment. If they do this then maybe people will start to regain their respect for the establishment.
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34 Donald Pond
“The reason why Poles and Maderians get work is because they are unfailingly polite, hard-working and do not complain about their job.”
Well the ones I’ve met and work with can complain about their lot as well as the next person!
I think your “assumption” is very unrealistic and is a false stereotype. So you think all other nationalities are impolite, lazy and submissive do you?
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No 38,
Just to clarify further, you don’t have to pay SS if you are REGISTERED as unemployed, if you are unemployed and not registered, you do (at 455 per month), so anyone who has not bothered to register will get a bill of £1365 next quarter.
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#34 Donald, for me “being polite” includes smiling while serving someone, so I couldn’t disagree more.
I’ve worked with Jersey-born, Poles and Madeirans and all it shows me is that people are just people, all nationalities have their lazy people and all nationalities moan about their job (the fact they do it in a language you may not understand doesn’t make it any less moaning).
The only thing that seems clear to me is that you are less likely to get a smile from a Madeiran, but that is not to say that all Madeirans are unfriendly, I have occasionally received service with a smile from a Madeiran. I did ask a Madeiran friend about this and she believes it to be a cultural thing.
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We used to call the job centre the “joke centre”. For that reason, most of the people who I knoew were out of work didn’t bother to register.
Too many J cats taking local jobs as well. Hardly surprising that it causes hardship. Not rocket science to anyone but states members.
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Yes, Donald Pond. The day that we have a welfare state in Jersey is the day that we have the “farewell state”!
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#34 Donald Pond
I totally disagree with your comments about Poles & Maderians being more polite etc
They are no different from any other nationality. I’ve met some very arrogant & lazy Maderians in Jersey. I’ve met some ignorant & aggressive Poles in Jersey. But there again, I’ve met those people from other countries too, including Jersey
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This is the worst recession in decades.
Sadly, we are now seeing the downside of the States having neglected tourism for so many years.
When people start getting made redundant from finance, there’s absolutely nothing left here anymore
What’s going to happen if the finance industry fragments, and offshore places like Jersey lose their importance?…………our standard of living would nosedive.
However, some contributors to this site would love to see our economy in ruins. This would see population figures drop substantially, and they can then walk the streets, remember the good days and spend some happy years in god’s waiting room
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The real story is being totally overlooked by the JEP for one (is this on purpose cos they don’t want to offend advertisers or they don’t see it?). Truth is business’s on the island, the ones making 100′s millions are NOT in recession. Its nonsense, spin, they are latching onto UK/Global problems and using it as an excuse to make more money for their UK or Canadian parent. Sucessful business’s on this island are making many people redundant while being more and more profitable – FACT. Our tax model is broken and we’re being taken for a ride – exploited Jersey, with poor leadership.
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#46 “However, some contributors to this site would love to see our economy in ruins. This would see population figures drop substantially, and they can then walk the streets, remember the good days and spend some happy years in god’s waiting room”
Yep, there’s more than a few in Jersey who want exactly that.
Jersey is (or, should I say, was)one of the most pleasant waiting rooms ever created (or evolved – as the case may be).
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“However, some contributors to this site would love to see our economy in ruins. This would see population figures drop substantially, and they can then walk the streets, remember the good days and spend some happy years in god’s waiting room”
And what would be wrong with that? Not everything revolves around making lots of money at all costs. People need to get back to basics and until they do this things will continue down skid row.
Why should I have my quality of life hit, and now my standard of living nosediving just because certain people want what they want? As far as I am concerned anyone coming in should play their full part in helping Jersey become a better place for all of its inhabitants.
Jersey is in a shambles and it is only going to get worse. GST is a regressive tax brought in to hit the poorest in our community the most , and it is only going to go upwards. The government needs to get a grip and sort out taxing issues before serious social problems come to the fore.
I personally have never seen the island in such a mess. It comes to something when some of the oldies reckon things were better under the Germans!
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There are currently hundreds of immigrant
workers planting potatoes all over the island.
Yet we are told that there are 1300 or more
locals unemployed, including many teenagers.
Why are the farmers (who are being paid
subsidies of £45 per acre) being allowed to import workers whilst taxpayers money is paying unemployment benefits?
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But would locals from jersey do the farmers jobs picking veg! go on ASK THEM ,i think not, and there lies the problem.
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“Why are the farmers (who are being paid
subsidies of £45 per acre) being allowed to import workers whilst taxpayers money is paying unemployment benefits?”
Or to put it another way, why are the States paying unemployment benefit to people who won’t plant potatoes.
I was once unemployed in the north of england. The only jobs on offer at the job centre were for picking turnips. The adert said (I remember it well) “Hard, back-breaking work. Don’t apply unless you know what it’s like and know you can do it”. The wages were rubbish.
How many of the people you see going in and out of Social Security could plant potatoes?
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We all know the name of the Company who are at present advertising in the “Contruction News” for Plasterers and Bricklayers to come to Jersey, the advert is in Polish, reassuring to know that there are no unemployed Plasterers or Bricklayers in Jersey!!!.
Some firms favour our Continental Cousins as employees, they say that they always turn up, they are good workers, they do not complain, and if they did not employ them they would be classed as racist, loosely translated, that means they are cheaper.
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wow!!!!!
My goodness,What´s happening here?
I had to go get a job cleaning toilets in the states department,cause no man in suit wanted to do it.
Why are you all complaining? jersey is a nice place to live and to enjoy life without our current politicians
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#53 Bean Bag
If your information is correct, I’d like an official response from the States & how this is allowed.
Sometimes I wonder whether we might as well remove all quallies, and just let everyone fight for themselves
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#30 Darren
You made a really interesting comment at the bottom. When the majority feel neglected and even discriminated against, it creates unsavoury reactions. You’re absolutely right, this is a driving force behind the BNP’s rise in the UK.
I’m not suggesting fascism will return to Jersey, but you only have to regularly read comments on this website to see right-wing viewpoints are rife.
If the States wish to continue with a quallies system, they need to enforce it better.
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“Some firms favour our Continental Cousins as employees, they say that they always turn up, they are good workers, they do not complain, and if they did not employ them they would be classed as racist, loosely translated, that means they are cheaper.”
I have come across very few Jersey born plasterers or bricklayers. I have no preference whether my bricklayer is Polish or British. What I want is for them to do the job properly and at the lowest cost possible, keep out of trouble while they are here and preferably not stay permanently.
There are so many people who go on about “rip-off” Jersey: how do you think costs can be reduced if builders are forced to employ the most expensive plasterers in Europe?
We should introduce short term (3 or 5 year) work permits for people other than J cats so that the casual labourer does not become a long term resident.
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#53 So true. And certain other businesses advertise abroad through agencies, although it would be fairly difficult to find the adverts here.
It’s one thing whether you employ a local or a foreigner, it’s quite another advertising abroad with adverts that are quite well hidden (if available at all) locally!
Of the people that are currently in Jersey employ the best one for the job (whatever nationality), but don’t go searching for staff to bring in from abroad until you have tried advertising here.
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How interesting as we if we didn’t that already…the most annoying thing of all is certain agencies and companies don’t even acknowledge your application or interest in job. I find this demoralising and personally reduces ones confidence in respect of getting a job. I have applied for several jobs directly to companies and they haven’t had the decency to reply. I email agencies regularly and some of them don’t even bother to reply or even acknowledge you exist.
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The 5 year recidency rule is not worth the paper it was printed on, general labourers arrive here on Friday and start work on Monday, many, many firms will employ no one except Poles, and there are plenty of unemployed labourers here, local men do not stand a chance, I have already mentioned the reasons.
Incidentally, I am amazed at the amount of people who use more than one user name.
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53, Jersey is no different from other places, people make the best deal they can get for themselves, that will never change.
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“donald pond
Posted March 30, 2010 at 11:06 am “Some firms favour our Continental Cousins as employees, they say that they always turn up, they are good workers, they do not complain, and if they did not employ them they would be classed as racist, loosely translated, that means they are cheaper.”
I have come across very few Jersey born plasterers or bricklayers.”
Why do you think that is?
Because Jersey has never sought to inspire her children to go into those professions. The best this island has ever offered in that respect is a couple of hundred places at Highlands each year. Traditionally the majority of school leavers attending those construction courses do so because it is just what’s done when leaving school early, not because they have dreamt and desired all their young lives of becoming builders.
The problem lies in there being no relevantly sized dedicated construction college on this island. Which leads back to that old staple, lack of States foresight.
Had we such a college it’s safe to say the bulk of the large scale construction development this island has seen over the last two decades would have employed islanders, who would have kept the money they earned within the island.
Instead we’ve seen a majority of workers on those projects being nomadic migrants who send their wage back to their homeland, or save it for when they can leave the island.
And what have the States done with Highlands, our sole construction education facility, whilst that has been going on? Refocused the college’s time and money into providing finance industry courses.
All those eggs are leading to one giant sized omlette. And it won’t be the cooks who have to pay for it.
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Where is the winter work scheme…? £44Mil.stimulus package,going where…? outside contractors,workers mostly not from here we have able bodied citizens asking for income support…it’s jobs that are required..the winter work scheme gave not only a reasonable wage but dignity…some come on you politicos earn your corn and get it back on.
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ask at social about “u credits ” they used to pay your social when you were out of work. how about some one from social coming on here and telling us, if they still exist. you had to go there each week to get them , even if you had benifit or not.
people who are out of work, should be able , use the sports facilities at fort regent for free.
it would be a benifit to personal health, whilst out of work, as sittng round , after scanning for the non existant job daily , leads to depression, in some cases.
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Jon very valid points. However I think you have overlooked another big reason why firms use migrant labour. It is called cost. If a firm can employ 10 migrants for the same cost as 5 residents what do you think will happen? Is this why we are getting more and more people over here now?
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