Jobless figures continue to rise
Tuesday 23rd November 2010, 2:59PM GMT.
Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf
RECORD numbers of Islanders are now registered as unemployed, with 60 more people out of work at the end of October than a month before.
Figures released this morning reveal that there were 1,290 people listed as actively seeking work by Social Security on 31 October – a figure that has been surpassed only once since the early 1980s. The highest figure was in February this year, when the number hit 1,320.
Today’s figures, which were published by the States Statistics Unit, suggest that labourers and other low-skilled Islanders who work as cleaners, messengers, hotel porters, kitchen assistants and bar staff are being hit hardest by the continuing economic downturn.
Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf said that the numbers were not unexpected in terms of what had been forecast in certain sectors of the economy.
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Worrying and even more reason to now stay away from the Island’s emergency reserves AKA the Rainy Day Fund because Income Tax intake would have falling now. Add the uncertainty of 0-10 Corporation Tax Jersey must now hold onto whatever savings it has.
I would guess some people classed as unemployed were not born in Jersey though.
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Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t such a good idea all those years ago to tell banks to outsource the back office functions….
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Trevor…What do you mean that some people classed as unemployed are not from Jersey? what you implying?
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Jersey needs to re-look at its income and maybe go for deeper cuts now. The Private Sector is suffering whilst the Public Sector is being spoon fed. Its all wrong and like Trevor says, we cannot spend anymore reserves under these circumstances. Taxes have to go up especially for higher earners.
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What a surprise I would never have guessed we would have more unemployment. There will be a few more next election.
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Trevor Comment 1.. Some people classed as unemployed are not from Jersey. What is that all about. What difference does it make where you are from. Your comment sums up what is so wrong with Jersey and the attitude of some people. I am Jersey born by the way, but have long since left the island.
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@Trevor
shall we stop treating those who were not born in Jersey as persons then?
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With Social security about to rise and even more pressure being applied on local companies there is very little possibilty of unemployment falling.The government needs to play its part and it is falling well short at present.The panic response at present is if it moves tax it!!
Not a very stimulating approach to resolving the problem
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Trevor 1 –
I would guess some people classed as unemployed were not born in Jersey though
How is this relevant, if drawing income support they must have fulfilled the criteria for eligibility. Conversely there will be local people recieving support who have never paid into the system.
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Perhaps the levels of income support have something to do with low-skilled Islanders who work as cleaners, messengers, hotel porters, kitchen assistants and bar staff being hit hardest.
If they get the same on income support as working, why work?
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Unemployment still rising so why not kick people where it hurts by raising GST by 66.6%. This is no way to run an economy.
Cutting spending will risk sending Jersey even further into recession instead of helping it out.
I expect the unemployment level to rise yet further due to incorrect fiscal policies being followed.
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Pity – i have jobs available but no one wants to work in lowly retail…….
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In fairness to Trevor there are a few young people who are blaming foreignors for not getting jobs.
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Well it’s never good to be unemployed, but lets consider the figure in the real world. 1290 are said to be unemployed, out of this figure there are some for sure who simply don’t want to work and of course there are people who are unemployed and have not registered. So it’s just over 1% of our population. I don’t think that is a massive concern, but do understand how some of those unemployed are feeling. Keep knocking on the doors and some will open.
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Nice to see XENOPHOBIA is alive and kicking,,,,
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Maybe we need some sort of law that protects the local workforce by stopping people from working in certain jobs until they have been resident for 5 Years?
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#10 Dave
Don’t class everyone the same Dave. I was made redundant at 58 after 33 years. So I have to look for something else now, but who will offer me and others of the similar age anything other than low wage or part time work.
Suggestions of retraining are great, provided employers can reckon on getting a good number of years from you, but taking on the older worker !
And no, I do not receive Income support, so having to survive on savings. Oh, Social Security will still want £450 odd a month.
I know I’ve run with your comment Dave, but I’m sure you won’t have meant everyone in your comment.
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The long term unemployed ie junkies and alcoholics get Incapacity Benefit, that will add a lot more to the real unemployment figures
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Those who may not have been born in Jersey and who are now unemployed, surprisingly, paid the same taxes and Social Security just like everyone else, so why can they not benefit?
BTW there are many more unemployed than those 1290 people listed. I would hazard a guess that the actual numbers of unemployed are far higher than can be imagined.
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The statistics is totally flawed. I was made redundant, but never made the statistics as I was a J1 cat (my job was taken by somebody in the UK who now jets in here and there). The change from J1 housing no non-qualified forced us out of the island. We have been homeless since.
No 18: To assume that long term unemployed are junkies and alcoholics is insulting. I wish you unemployment and the 10 plagues.
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no 17. I certainy do not class all groups the same.
You have my sympathy.
I think it is disgusting that after having worked 33 years, as well as not receiving income support, you have to pay the maximum employers and employees social security (£450/month) while unemployed – It is totally and absolutely wrong.
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Let’s hope we can add at least one more to the jobless total next year : Ozouf !
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No job, no social security contribution, no tax to pay, disposable income scrapes the floor, little money spent on luxurys. Probably on benefits.
Out of work is a bad place to be no matter what you work at, or where you are from.
It is not clear which structures the Government is putting in place to support and encourage economic and business growth. If we think about retailing, increasing GST and parking charges, and then increasing the cost of employing staff through social security how can this be positive news.The wrong signals are being sent.
Have any States members actually run a successful business in the last ten years. Have any financial consultants ? Where is the long awaited diversification plan to complement finance and provide work for those not working in finance.
Where is the efficient and cost cutting in the Governments top heavy civil service, pen pushers , £800,000 for new consultants to help the new staff at the Hospital.
Not looking good, unless the economy bounces soon and the States learn to stop spending and get some common sense.
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Like #17″Needajob” I was made redundant at 58.
I took my fairly decent CV to the three top personnel agencies only to be told each time “We find it impossible to get an interview for anyone over the age of 35″. As for getting any help from Social Security – don’t bother wasting a paycard.
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Since the early 70′s Jersey has relied on the finance industry and they have all ways paid above average pay, together with being one of the biggest employers.That why people like to work with in that industry.
But now times are hard even in the finance industry and they have cut back on staff and wages, people are now finding it hard to find a good paid job, and you need that could paid job to be able to survive in the island. most people need a that good wage to be able to cope with Jersey high cost of living.
I also agree that if your over 40 it is now nearly impossible to get a job,let alone an interview, it happen to me, as soon as I reach a certain age I was literally push out of my job, I lost everything and now can not afford to live in the Island of my birth place.
Good luck to everyone seeking a job
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The island is now a shadow of its once great former self! It is a case of last one out turn the light off. Very upsetting
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Used to love my island .was never out of work. Looking back at jersey and all the flats. That’s not jaresy any more.
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Forty Four Million quid in the fiscal stimulous pot…why Oh why won’t they reintroduce the winter work scheme it was a real life saver I know I was on it ..it gave real work, dignity and real wages not a handout …we supplied all the old folks with kindling.re painted railings park benches,worked at the Hospitals, dept..public works..gardening…portering allsorts…No I know too simple…and doesn’t keep the people demoralized.
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No wonder Jersey is world leader with the the highest suicide rate per head of population,also top of world heroine addiction and alcholism per head of pop..The prize and reward for being an offshore finance centre.
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No 16 – With such a stupid attitude, I hope you never have to leave this island and work eslewhere. I feel sorry for someone with yr brains ( or lack of them )
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#24 Yozzer Hughes
#25 FB
Fellow ‘oldies’ . Who said there is no AGEISM or DISCRIMINATION…..it’s alive and kicking here.
We’re told now that we are living too long…..but the States have been happy taking income tax & social security payments from us for all these years.
Dick Turpin had guns, our shower use laws and legislation to rob the poor and look after their own, oh and is that another £800 a year to themselves…..robbing bas****s.
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No 29.
My comment was tounge in cheek – we already have such a law (Regulation of undertakings). Sorry if my comment went ‘over your head’.
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#31 Dave, what no-one seems to be able to tell me is “If you get married does the 5-year residency suddenly no longer apply?” Maybe you have the answer?
There is a good reason for asking this. If the answer is “yes” then are thorough checks taking place to ensure there are no marriages of convenience? Also, if the answer is “yes”, then this surely discriminates against homosexual couples since Jersey doesn’t recognise civil partnerships?
If the answer is “no” then why would that be? It is quite common these days for couples to object to the idea of marriage, it doesn’t make their relationship any less loving or committed. But with this rule in place a couple both from Jersey are equal, but a couple where one isn’t from Jersey are unequal and are not treated as well. It’s all very well to treat the outsider badly, but you cannot do so without also treating one of your own badly, and this will result in the island losing young, bright minds that have been educated here at your expense and could have continued to be of great benefit to the island.
It just seems odd to me that a nation would upset its own citizens by making life difficult for their life-partner and forcing their relationship to be very unequal.
As for the various “-isms” I hope that in Jersey interviewers are allowed to ask you if you plan on disappearing to have children?
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Unemployment should rise higher, get those waste of time civil servants where they belong… the other side of the income support desk.
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27. I think you’ll find that the Union doesn’t like it when people are helped in this way.
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“Dingdong” at comment 28
“No wonder Jersey is world leader with the the highest suicide rate per head of population,also top of world heroine addiction”
Whilst I concur with the alcoholism, would you mind backing up the apparent suicide and heroine (sic) claim with some stats? Because I very much doubt it. I can’t see how we can possibly be anywhere near the same as places such as Liverpool and Glasgow. I suspect you just pulled that out of thin air.
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The 5 year law does not apply if the person marries a ‘local’.
I know someone who married a local girl just so he could set up a business over here.
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Leah 33 – I don’t have a definite answer but I would make an educated guess at “No”, as you do not receive housing quals when you marry a local so I doubt you would get the 5 year either.
I married a local girl, our house is in her name which i found odd considering we are married! Not too fussed on non locals not getting quals or 5 year, i get my housing next year so i have managed to muddle through for 9 years…
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With the states policy of ‘efficiency’ savings is there any surprise there are so many unemployed?.. Jersey Telecom, Jersey Gas, Civil Service and soon Jersey Post are probably responsible for 250 of these.. the States of Jersey is a disgrace & should be helping to KEEP people in work, not forcing them into redundancy & the scrap heap… and it’s going to get a lot worse !
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33 and 38, Yes you do recieve the 5 years if you marry a local person.
I read your questions and this couldnt help but raise a dicussion at work where the majority of people thought no. Spoke to population and actually you will recieve their 5 year residency. This also happens if you marry someone who isnt locally born but also has their 5 year residency you also will then recieve 5 years.
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No 38.
The rules are not the same for quallies/reg of undertakings. You do not get housing quallies but you are exempt from the 5 year rule.
I guess the reasoning is that if you are married, only one person needs qualies to buy a house, but you work independently so each person needs to be exempt from the 5 year restrictions.
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@39
Redunancy & the scrap heap?
You’re writing a lot of people of there, I’m sure many of them will go on to bigger and better things.
You know not everyone needs to be spoon fed, some people are more than capable of looking after themselves.
What will put more out of ‘work’ (it is not work, Civil Servants do no work they just get paid) is raising taxes, especially social security, businesses will be forced to lay off staff.
You’re right though, if the states had just done a complete 10% reduction in pay for all employees, no one need have been made redundant and no tax rises would be necessary.
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Oh well, we certainly helped propagate the madness of that bubble period so I guess its only reasonable that we should suffer from its implosion. I feel sorry for those who never played a part in it and yet have lost their jobs and their livelihoods, right Geoff?
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#40 Brilliant, marriage it is then
#38 You have my admiration, but I will be a burden on the health system if I have to endure non-brain-tasking jobs for another 3 years.
Don’t care about housing qualifications only one of us needs to have housing qualifications.
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Valid points Bean and Gone most of these were taxpayers now they are out of work they may be a burden on the state till they get a new job. At the moment as we are in a 1930′s period of depression it will not be easy and many may not ever get a proper job again especially the over 50′s.
Employers on the whole prefer a young person who they can imprint their values on as opposed to someone who knows what its all about, and who won’t be bamboozled to the same degree. Also with less experience comes less money, another good reason to take on younger people.
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What goes up must come down! And Jersey is certainly on the downslope for now – but it will come back up again, as every country will, it’s just a question of when!???
This is the state the world is in. Probably the biggest ever financial crises to hit the world – most certainly in our lifetimes.
Jersey still has a strong financial core BUT in a very competitive world, Jersey is having to become more specialised with what it does. This inevatibly leads to jobs being lost. A lot of people moved to Jersey during the good times because there were great jobs to be had paying a lot of money. But now a huge chunk of them have gone and will continue to go which in turn means people become unemployed and in many cases these peoples have to leave the island in search for work – which is sad but true.
These jobs I doubt will ever return because businesses have been hit SO hard this time round. Firms will be very careful when the economy does indeed turn around. Who knows when this will be. In my view, and I work as a property analyst in London so I’m looking from a wider perspective, we’ve probably got 5 years of rubbish, if any growth. Basically because the government has to sort out it’s huge pile of debt! We can all thank the banks for that!
So, all in all, Jersey will struggle like the rest of the world. Jobs will continue to be lost, the housing market will stay very flat (apart from the top end probably – and by that I mean the big country pads). So for the normal folk, it will be very tough….The one good thing I would say, is that when Jersey does come out of this mess, house prices will be far more realistic – I’m predicting a 700k new build will be worth about 500k or maybe even less.
Hold on for the ride people.
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@29 Dingdong
Another superb example of ill informed alarmist comment. It genuinely bores me to read the comments of peope who will literally hurl themsleves from tall buildings onto any passing bandwagon. This comment is just from someone who is bitter and has a personal axe to grind about Jersey. And, frankly, if you don’t like it, why stay?
Just to clrify:
Re Alcoholism: W.H.O. Data states in litres per adult per year: UK 11.8, Ireland 13.7, Luxemburg 15.6
Re Heroin: Percentage of Adults who use ANY drug more than once a year: UK 2.4, Sain 2.7, USA 2.8
Suicide (SO far off) W.H.O. Data of suicides p/100k: UK 9.2, Finland 18.8, Belarus 35.1
So, whilst it’s lovely that you had a try, maybe some research is in order next time?
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When the western economies collapse completely it will be back to the good old days of barter. No more usery and tricks as they won’t work without make pretend monopoly money to hide behind.
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Lots of creepy, covert compromise agreements doing the rounds so that employers can pretend that redundancies are not that or they can sack locals and get in people from england as part of so-called “restructuring”
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@49 So you have finally hit upon the real problem.
Jersey people are lazy, they expect something for nothing.
It should come as no surprise when they are replaced with people from overseas with better qualifictions, who work harder, for less money.
If things go wrong in their own lives they look not at what they have done wrong but why the government isn’t doing more to help them.
They refuse to take jobs which are ‘beneath’ them, as if there is such a thing. Won’t get out of bed for less than …
If they were hungry enough or cold enough they would find find a way to survive. I blame the welfare state, it should be done away with. All it does is create dependents.
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‘I blame the welfare state, it should be done away with. All it does is create dependents.’
Would you like it, Jim, if this led to the evolution of an underclass of very desperate people with absolutely nothing to lose except their lives? Would you care to meet some of them in the wrong place on a dark night? They won’t all stop breeding, such is human nature. Inevitably some might just remain, despite all encouragement to go elsewhere, in dark corners of Jersey.
Surely it is more humane to help people up rather than push them down, even though there is a risk of opportunism creeping in.
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#50 What a hoot. If only it were true and not just a generalisation.
What if you take one of these jobs that is ‘beneath’ you but they won’t let you away for interviews for jobs that would allow you to continue to pay your mortgage (i.e. not become a burden on social housing). You’re left with no option but to leave the job and find another equally low paid job straight after the interview. Except given the number of foreigners going for such jobs, specifically those without the qualifications or the experience to go for interviews for better jobs, are you going to get another one? Also, you may not be willing to work such long hours because you already have family commitments, friend commitments etc. Is it right that you are expected to neglect your family and other aspects of the life you’ve built up here just because others have less of a life here and are able to work ALL the hours?
Then you have to account for possible employer snobbery, and some will have it. Stacking the shelves to tide you over will be seen as a good thing by some employers but no doubt a bad thing by others.
I’m pretty sure it’s not as black and white for locals as you make it out to be.
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Oh dear, we’ve got a chip on our shoulder merchant at 50. It doesn’t take long before the racist brigade come out of the woodwork.
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Bigot alert at number 50
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It’s amazing how some people (notably, the “gentleman at 50 above) can take a simple post and turn it around to spew out some vile racist diatribe! There is always one (or even a few) on every free forum! If this chap is in Jersey, perhaps he would be better leaving a place which he clearly finds unaccepetable.
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A narrow minded one at 50.
And he can’t spell “qualifications”, far less know that there are many doctors, lawyers and others who are Jersey born and who hold professional, ah, “qualifictions” (sic)
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Truthseeker who is keeping the people demoralised? Come on name it please. You make such claims like Dingdong there who says this which are clearly not true.
We still have the lowest unemployment in Britain – and if they can’t find a job, people shoudl lower expectations or move to where they are (India / New Zealand / Australia) all cryign out for people.
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57, yes lets all go to india , new zealand and australia.
hang on a moment , visas required, they have a bit more control over who gets in , other than, jerseys control, of “you can afford the rent you can stay”
lower expectations (low wage)= sat in the dark eating cold beans (after rent payment)
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Real Truthseeker
I guess your job is still vacant in NZ because you are a “specialist” and nobody else can do the work you do hey?
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“And he can’t spell “qualifications”, far less know that there are many doctors, lawyers and others who are Jersey born and who hold professional, ah, “qualifictions” (sic)”
Take it from me, it is far easier to create qualifictions if you come from off island.
I can check on an island born and educated UK graduate candidate with two phone calls or a phone call and an email. One call to the head teacher of the school and a call or an email to the university and that is it!
An overseas candidate has a lot more opportunity to be economical with the truth if they wish.
Language problems, time zones, etc all add complexity to an enquiry on qualifications and references are very hard to get.
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Let’s get this straight.
1) There are 1,290 registered unemployed.
2) Most are unskilled.
3) Jersey is reducing public spending to balance the budget.
4) Most people believe the Island’s population is sufficiently large and do not want to see further increases.
Why can the rise in unemployment not be seen as an opportunity to reduce the population? We should encourage the unemployed to either retrain into something more skilled, undertake seasonal labour (potatoes need planting soon) or else, frankly, to leave the Island. But what we should not accept is hard working people coming to Jersey to do seasonal work while we pay healthy people income support. And we should not subsidise farmers who will not use the local unemployed.
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Small Money – load of rubbish, I needed to go through a difficult to process to migrate here, and in addition Jersey don’t control that, the UK does. The UK Home Office are the one’s who grant it – not Jersey!
Parktown Prawn: Not sure, but quite likely. Very, very difficult to replace I am. Unfortunately there is only one of me leading this fight – and I am sure you are like myself, and wish there were more and more Real Truthseekers out there.
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The population of the island have been betrayed yet again by our government – we have asked for work permits for years – but now – this does not fit in with the billionaires wishes – so now we have unemployment.
We all know people who have lost their jobs and many are not signing on – in particular young people whose parents are keeping them.
Work permits required until unemployment reduces.
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RT did you came in via the back of a freezer van from Calais to Dover?
donald they cost less to employ and will put up with more, so why wouldn’t an employer want access to this type of market? They would probably petition the government for this wouldn’t they? Is this why there is no proper migration policy in Jersey unlike other places around the world?
Finance has caused an economic boom which has sucked in lots more people than otherwise would have been the case. When it goes the population will reduce to more managable levels.
As per unemployment I only expect it to rise due to the situation we face now. I believe it is more than likely double what they say it is. I bet some haven’t bothered registering as they believe it is a waste of time.
Others may have gone travelling to get away from it all. yet others may be in the process of emmigrating to pastures new and a brighter future. I wouldn’t blame them if they were. I can’t see things getting back to what they were 20-30 years ago.
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