Unemployment continues to fall
Saturday 22nd May 2010, 2:57PM BST.
Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur
UNEMPLOYMENT in Jersey has continued to fall after hitting a record high this winter.
On 1 April, 1,140 Islanders were unemployed – 40 fewer than the previous month and significantly fewer than the 1,320 registered out of work in February. However, despite the drop, 220 more Islanders were unemployed compared to April 2009.
And Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur said that the recent decrease in unemployment was not a sign of a significant improvement in the economy. He said: ‘I am pleased to see the containing downward trend in unemployment, even though it is relatively small.’
‘However, I don’t think that this is in itself a sign of a dramatic improvement in the economic situation. I think it is more of a reflection of what we would normally expect at this time of year – people being taken on for seasonal jobs.
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This is a nonsense. How does he know that unemployment is falling? Most unemployed people don’t bother to register with the job centre. In my time of unemployment, we used to call it the joke centre for what were at the time obvious reasons. If unemployment really is down, why are we seeing immigrant workers falling on dire times and having to rely upon charity?
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Really, what interesting information…and where did you get your figures from? Oh that’s right you make them up as you go along trying to hide the fact that unemployment is actually increasing….not decreasing!!!!
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What a farce! based upon these figures it will only take a minimum of two years to reduce the unemployment to zero assuming no-one else gets made redundant and would the Tourism industry be the reason that the figures have fallen – probably DOH!!!
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Unemployment falling? If so how so? Is it a result of people leaving the island? Is there any evidence that the number of people in work has had a corresponding rise?
A lot more work needs to be done to establish the true picture.
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wake up le sueur and smell the coffee read the paper about all the people out of work and in need of hand outs you are out of touch with what is going on around you .
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The scathing comments so far submitted really are unwarranted, imho.
The only standard measurement of Island unemployment which can in any sense be relied upon, is the SocSec count of people registered out-of-work. Because (as is well known, and has never been denied) some people don’t bother to register, this is not the whole picture, and no-one has ever claimed that it was.
The Chief Minister has been asked by the media, to comment on the published figures – as one would expect – and has made it clear that he regards them as, at best, very mildly encouraging. What else could he reasonably have said?
Those who insist that real unemployment is actually rising, may well be correct – but they are only expressing a personal opinion, since there are no figures to use, other than the SocSec ones.
As for the Job Centre being thought of as the ‘joke centre’ – it’s easy to damn people who have no opportunity to reply; I can only say that, when I became unemployed a little while ago, the Job Centre staff were extremely professional in their approach, and my recovery would probably have taken a great deal longer, without their help.
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Good to hear that more people have work. I hope that this trend continues. Although it is fairly safe to say that this may be due to seasonal factors. Some countries use a ‘seasonally adjusted’ technique to determining underlying unemployment figures. Something the Chief Minister & his staff might want to consider?
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Unemployement going down! I think that is nonsense, these figures are published to kid us on that every thing in the garden is rosy,they think we are all gullible, and treat us all as idiots.
Why for instance, did the headline not say”UNEMPLOYMENT WAY UP ON LAST YEAR”
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Doesn’t it usually fall sharply(by much more than 40) at this time of year?
If unemployment is 220 more than it was at this time last year, I dont think the trend is downwards.
We are looking at 1,500 plus this winter
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To make sense of the employment situation in Jersey it is not sufficient to refer solely to the numbers registering as unemployed. It would be far more informative to know what the figures are for the actively employed and to compare these with previous months and years. We would then be better informed as how many jobs have actually been lost and a much clearer picture would emerge.
Can the JEP please supply these figures?
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All is rosy in the garden of the wonderful, wacky world of Senator Le Sueur
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Didn’t Le Sueur make a mess of Social Security a few years ago?
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made me smile that two stories down the headline is ’60 public sector jobs to go’ – which should add to that figure and mean that the unemployment is 20 worse than this time last year. upward trend all round i think…
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I’m with Jerry, Baggins can’t do right no matter what he says. Any reduction is a good thing although I suspect it’s seasonal. I do hope things improve in time for next winter.
As for the comments Jerry refers to, there’s a hard core of whingers on this site, they don’t understand the issues they comment on but hey being thick’s not a crime and everyone is entitled to an opinion, however ill informed.
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What has Jersey to offer now that agriculture, tourism and finance are stuffed…..hasta la vista baby!
Its now time to wake up and smell the coffee, its only the tip of the iceberg, the fantasy is over! Jersey isn’t immune to the global fallout.
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An person not working for an employer has to pay the social security department £455.75 per month to stay in Jersey. The reason unemployment is falling is that, like myself, many cannot afford this, so have to leave the island!
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