Unemployment hits a new high
Wednesday 23rd February 2011, 3:00PM GMT.
Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf
UNEMPLOYMENT in Jersey hit a record high last month as the number of people out of work soared by 15 per cent.
At least 1,390 Islanders were registered unemployed in January – 180 more than in the previous month and 190 more than in the same month last year.
The increase has broken the previous record set in February last year, when 1,320 people were registered unemployed.
Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf said: ‘We always get a blip in January and the blip is worse this year because the economic situation is worse.’
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Imagine if Southern or Tadier were at the helm, more like 50%.
That’s our choice, unless of course Adrian or Pip want to run? Adrian or Pip – over to you perhaps?
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people losing their job and facing possible ruin is a “blip” Charming comment from a multi miliionaire.
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Ah yes, if you don’t like it, it is a blip.
If it supports your policies then it is a trend.
Blip blip blip, trend trend trend, blip blip blip; CoM speak for Save Our Seats
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” At least 1,390 ISLANDERS were registered unemployed in January “. Would the JEP please define ‘ islander’.
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A BLIP,,,,GOOD GOD,,,,WHO WRITES THIS MAN’S SCRIP,,,TOMMY COOPER,,,,SO WE UNEMPLOYED ARE JUST A BLIP,,,,JUST WAIT,,,FOR THE ELECTIONS,,,,THEN YOU WILL ALSO BE JUST A BLIP,,,,ROLL ON THE ELECTIONS,,,,
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STILL LESS THAN 2% OF THE POPULATION – BAD? Try looking at Ireland!
The low unemployment rate in Jersey is one thing we can be proud of. There are jobs around, just take a look at the States of Jersey website and you have 106 jobs available and that’s just one website so please keep your feet on the group when reporting. Perhaps a more serious question would be why do we have 1000+ registered unemployed people with so many jobs around? Now that would make a good story for the newspaper and perhaps one of the journalists might like to look into it – far more interesting a read I think.
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Makes a bit of a mockery of the statistics they were going on about a few weeks ago. Unemployment on the decline and all that nonsense!!!
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I know … let’s increase the population by 150 households per annum.
Don’t say you weren’t warned
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Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf said: ‘We always get a blip in January and the blip is worse this year because the economic situation is worse.’
The man is a genius thank god for him I just pray he is a blip and unemployed soon the man is an ass!! so much feeling for the unemployed
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Peter Price @ comment 6 – that is quite correct. It is normal to expect unemployment given the international situation. The fact is the size of it is incredibly small relative to most countries. Not ideal, but given the policies of the people wanting to remove Ozouf, Real Truthseeker is right – it would be alot worse.
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That wiped the supercilious smile off his face !!!
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Just one month ago one very misguided commentator had this to say about the December unemployment figures:
•D Mc S
Posted January 21, 2011 at 3:21 pm
‘Excellent numbers especially at this time of year. This is an endorsement of states policies and shows that Jersey has weathered the financial crisis well.
Well done Terry, Philip and Alan.
However, if the States paid lower benefits to the uneunemployed, this would encourage more lazy locals to get off their couches and find work.’
One or two others, including ‘Real Truthseeker’, endorsed this naive appraisal. It makes you wonder what planet these people inhabit.
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@#6
Peter
Sen Shenton explained why last week (or gave part of the reason). If the only jobs available are at minimum wage (£6ph) and by staying on Income Support you get the equivalent of £9ph then there is little incentive to take on the work. The UK have accepted this “Trap” and will implement positive welfare support to allow people to get back to work without being worse off. The New Welfare Reform Bill http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12486158.
This will force more “skivers” back to work – but is definitely both carrot and stick.
The issue Jersey has though is Income Support believe it costs £294 a week (Living £92; Household Bills £49; 1 Bed Flat rent £153)for a single person to live in Jersey.
So if the States believe it costs that much to live in Jersey work out how many hours on min wage you’ll have to work (allow for Tax and SS) and I reckon close on 60 hours.
So what is wrong? The amount the States say it costs each week in Jersey or the minimum wage? The two cannot be dealt with seperately and until the gap is closed you will continue to have people with no inclination to find work.
Minimum wage might be fine for a summer migrant worker living 6 to a room etc etc but someone who has just been made redundant from their job?
I know there is an imbalance and believe it can only be rectified with greater flexibility to the Income Support/ Income Tax system. Jersey would do well to steal some of the new UK Welfare Reform Bill
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Peter Price (6) There are jobs around, just take a look at the States of Jersey website
Dear Peter, The States of Jersey advertise every ‘job vacancy’. Hence if one persons leaves at the top of the ‘job pyramid’ everybody moves up one, a case of ‘Bugins turn’. One job vacancy Yes; ten job vacancies No.
Hence back to the drawing board Peter, your maths is skewered. Also look at the Agency jobs, which are often just a copy of what the other agencies are advertising.
So to answer your question, “why do we have 1000+ registered unemployed people with so many jobs around?” Simples, there really are not so many jobs around!
However if the JEP really do want to do some investigative journalism, they will find a sad story of an employment maket and economy over dependent on just one industry; finance.
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Good luck filling all those new houses Dandara!
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I brown nosedly endorse anything said by the establishment and their psycophants whatever they say is right,and moreover very good for you,falling to your knees in gratitude is what I expect…you see I want to play with the big boys and get to go to their parties and have jelly and ice cream and be told by them what a good little creep I’ve been and to keep it up…nah so there…
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Does this number include those not registered at SS but are with recruitment agencies?
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If a single mother with 2 children with one under 5 can earn £26k a year tax and social security free why would they work? The benefit system is encouraging career benefit seekers so of course those on low incomes with dependants are going to stay unemployed.
If we had progressive benefit system that rewards people who work the unemployment number would fall considerably.
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And they continue spouting how wonderful the advance to work scheme is which can be summed up as:
1. we will pay you to have training at highlands or through a private company
2. on the condition that you do not register as unemployed
3. on top of any other benefit you are claiming
4. and you do not have to actually turn up to the training.
5. and in fact, to be honest there are no jobs.
To sum up Advance to Work – we will pay you to sit at home and NOT be registered as unemployed.
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In conjunction with the latest news that we have exam results that do not meet the basic literacy requirements – no wonder no one want to employ the lazy, illiterate youth of today.
My nephew – 18 – had no trouble finding work when he left school. But then again he WANTED to work.
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Unemployment always rises in Jan and Feb so not too much to be concerned about, although if benefits were not so generous, I am sure many of the unemployed would have found work.
Jersey’s unemployment figures do compare very favourably to most mature economies at around a third of their average.
And it should be noted that people working in the various work schemes are still included in the above figures.
No 1. As always, you are spot on! Please continue to counter the vocal socialist minority on this and other forums.
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This was a comment last month about a decrease in the employment. Article posted on 21st January, 2011 – 2.59pm
Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur today said that the figures could show that the Island was beginning to recover from the recession.
Now we have.. “We always get a blip in January and the blip is worse this year because the economic situation is worse.’”
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IS WORSE….
So here we have the CM saying its rosy stop moaning and then we have his pal the Treasury Minister accepting the situation is worse, and to fob it off as a BLIP!
Can not wait for next months figures…will it be a blip or will it be a recovery??
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Its great being unemployed. you can lie in, got nobody to answer to, the Income support people pay for everything so I just go down the pub and have a laugh. A lot less stressful !
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This blip is becoming worse. However he is unable to see the reality of the issue. His fiscal policies are failing and they are costing Jersey society dear.
I don’t even believe the figures they are more like 2-3,000. Many don’t bother to register at S.S. as they know it is a waste of time.
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1,320 registered unemployed! What about those that dont register at all, those kids on the Advance to Work Scheme, all the kids up at Highlands College because there are no jobs?
More like 4,000 unemployed, well that’s what happens when we have NO IMMIGRATION POLICY!
Let them all in, take all the jobs, push all the locals on Income support, and let the Finance industry pay more personal tax, YEAH!!!!!
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I am an islander as I live here and also I am unemployed but that is because I am a pensioner and not looking for work. I probably do not get included in the statistics.
My guess is that the blip will be come a much bigger bleep when the GST is increased. What will his excuse be then?
Remember that when the GST was “only” introduced at 3% it caused many prices to go up by 10% due to the cascading way in which it works. We will soon be lookinbg at prices which are 15% above what they should be.
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Unemployment figures are a sham
Many don’t sign on as they are too proud or live on their savings for a while and then leave the island.
More important to go by employment figures as they will give a true picture
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1 Real B@llshi@@er
I thought you said the last unemployment figures were just a blip! as for your choice between tweedle dee or tweedle dummer,No thank you.
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Hmmm 106 jobs on the states website eh, you just check how many are still available, a friend tried for 5 different positions and guess what, sorry already taken. Its just the same, and has been for years nearly all the jobs advertised in J.E.P. have been allocated even before the ad went in. I wonder why they do that? What hasn’t been announced is the hundreds of jobs gone in the finance/banking sector, most of those dont go on the unemployed register because they got big fat redundancy packages and many have left for warmer climes.
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10 Marc Jones..we’ll take it you have a job then Marc yeah..? BAd management of Jersey plain and simple is the cause….we used to have the winter work scheme for u
any unemployed folks …not hand outs real jobs with real wages..it gave purpose and dignity where it was needed…a Forty Four million pound fiscal stimulus package was rolled out,where was it spent who got it ,who were the contractors were conditions attached that unemployed locals were to be used…the peole are not stupid the worm is turning.Tax and social are screwing the self employed, food prices are insane along with rents…all this adds up to one thing a selfish elitist Govt,that gives shed loads of money to the undeserving and shafts the hardworking..it is a govt that must and will fall….
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Just reading this article makes you chuckle…
“We always get a blip in January and the blip is worse this year because the economic situation is worse.”
I guess this means “Oooops what can you do, this happens” but surely what one wants to hear is “Yes, I/we are aware of this and will now look to do x/y to address the situation and lighten the burden on the Social Security which the lucky people who still have a job are funding!
A bunch of Deputies and Senators who are good at talking but not so much at acting…before any real decisions are made it’s the end of the term in office!
For crying out loud, you already earn a fortune, get free parking plus enjoy a number of directorships and in some cases backhanded gifts *cough* Freddie Cohen *cough*, not to mentions that most if not all are from a wealthy background already! – so please do the decent thing and actually start trying to govern Jersey properly!
Also re @#4 – I hope your not questioning whether the “islanders” are born and bread in Jersey as that is not entirely relevant to the story
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Sad to read comments from those who are accusing others of not being interested in seeking employment.
First of all, are you all sat in your ivory towers, comfortably well off.
Secondly, would you care to swap places with some of these unfortunates and show them where they are going wrong in seeking employment. When I say swap, that includes taking on their current financial difficulties as well (ie not for a day or two).
Thirdly, once you’ve actually experienced hardship, can you please post an apology for you’re previous offensive comments.
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I am surprised none of the umpteen recruitment agencies are starting to feel the pressure. It used to be a big money spinner a few years ago with big commissions to find people work but no jobs no commission.
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4 Judge Jeffries – ” At least 1,390 ISLANDERS were registered unemployed in January “. Would the JEP please define ‘ islander’.
I’m stretching the grey matter here but I’d guess someone who lives on the island.
Just to assist as I can see you are struggling local is someone born locally not an individual who eats a lo cal diet.
Hows it hangin judge?
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@ pAUL 13 — The issue Jersey has though is Income Support believe it costs £294 a week (Living £92; Household Bills £49; 1 Bed Flat rent £153)for a single person to live in Jersey.
So if the States believe it costs that much to live in Jersey work out how many hours on min wage you’ll have to work (allow for Tax and SS) and I reckon close on 60 hours.
So what is wrong? The amount the States say it costs each week in Jersey or the minimum wage? The two cannot be dealt with seperately and until the gap is closed you will continue to have people with no inclination to find work.
WELL SAID PAUL, BUT WHEN WILL THE states GRASP THIS FACT and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT…… when they come out of never never land.
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truthseeker You have made alot of comments but not really true on them. The stimulus package has concluded, and as I understand it, the majority of it is going into construction, with the majority locally employed. That to me makes sense.
Your comments lack any coherent point or argument, other than to say it doesn’t really say much other than to express an opinion, when most people here talk specific facts.
I like the approach which is K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Stupid.
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This guy is mad….we are in a recession helped in no doubt by the redundancies the States are making.People with millions of pounds like Ozouf can ride the ‘Blip’ as money makes money but if you have no money its a different ball game.
GET OFF YOUR IVORY TOWER and realise that you (States Members) are securing the rich 11 K’s but you dont care about normal people.
You need to live with a normal person to know how things really are this is not a blip its a bloody nightmare you and Le Sueur and you rich cronies have caused
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Too many people – Too few jobs = Unemployment
Facts of life…
Question: WHO is going to create these jobs.
Answer: No one – we are in recession – MORE jobs are on the cards – trust me – my firm (a uk high street bank) is trying to ‘lose’ 10-20 FTE.
The states policies are daft – across the board – all based on liberal UK and sycophantic EU policies without taking into account the Jersey demographic.
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It seems that every time the JEP publishes a report on the unemployment statistics, someone then publishes highly misleading comments on this board which cannot be left unchallenged.
I respond to poster number 6 (Peter Price) who yesterday visited the JobsinJersey website, made a bare count of the vacancies (106) and then used this to imply that there are “so many jobs around”.
Today I did my own hour-long check. The overall number of vacancies totals 102. However, this figure always includes vacancies that have been double-entered under more than one category. Today the number of dual entries was 9 so you deduct this from 102 to get the actual number of vacancies today, which is 93.
However, approximately 45% of these jobs are NOT restricted to persons with 5 years residence so a person looking to apply for these ‘open market’ positions would be in competition with (at the very least) citizens of all 27 EU Member States. However, for the last decade, government policy has made it far easier for employers in the hospitality industry to obtain work permits to bring in staff from outside the EU (most notably Kenya) so realistically most of these hospitality vacancies must be presumed to be open to many non-EU nationals as well.
So if we conclude that the ‘open market’ vacancies are too difficult for a local to get because of the competition, and therefore deduct them, this leaves approximately 51 ‘local’ vacancies available today, amongst which are many specialist trades that would rule out the majority of those seeking work because of the experience or qualifications required (examples today are ‘Teacher’, ‘Executive Officer- Planning & Project Management’, ‘Asst Director- Performance & Operations’ (£66,461 pa), ‘Experienced Welder/ Steel Erector’… etc). There are many more like this.
So after deducting these specialist ‘local’ vacancies (such as those mentioned above) from the 51 ‘local’ vacancies available today for more than 1,300 jobless to fight over and you start to get a much more bleaker but accurate impression of the unemployment situation today in Jersey.
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So Jerry Gosselin, let me understand this then, since the open market positions can’t be counted in the numbers for ‘locals’, then I presume you are admitting that locals are not skilled or capable enough to be competitive for these jobs then?
Also, you say that the others require skills – so perhaps these unemployed bums should maybe skill themselves up then. This is the problem with alot of the locals, they want high paying jobs without getting skills.
No wonder there is unemployment! Lucky it isn’t as high as it could be, and that is purely down to the finance industry, to which we should be eternally grateful.
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Until one looses their job and can not get help from any where, and can not find a job because now classed as more mature and can not afford to pay the rent in the private rental market, and can not get a States rental property or can not afford to stay in Jersey, and before ons shouts “yes Jersey born” you dont know what that feels like or makes you feel like, so I really hope that does not happen to any more people in Jersey, the States and people like Ozouf make me mad with stupid saying like “Blip blip!
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So long as there is uncontrolled immigration, these figures will get worse, employers favour our Continental cousins, the excuses for doing so are endless,,,,”we do not want to be seen as racist”, “local people as lazy”,,,”they are paid too much in benefits” blah! blah! blah!, all the excuses under the sun are trotted out, a perfect recent example came from Mr. Clancy, director of Dandara when we were subjected to a “gobfull of verbal garbage”.
My personal favourite is “Continentals do not complain”,,,, Hardly in a position to are they?
Why do these people just not hold their hands up and be truthfull.
“We only employ these people for one reason, they are CHEAPER”
Those born in Jersey will always find it difficult to be employed here, we are losing our youth at a tremendous rate, but absolutely nothing must get in the way of profit.
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Real Truthseeker: Last year my locally born son tried to get a bar job in a popular nightclub. He is well educated to degree level, is articulate and sociable. He was not even interviewed as they only employed East Europeans.
Jerry Gosselin is spot on with his comments about non-local jobs.
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Whichever way you cut it, 100 jobs for 1400 unemployed still means 1300 souls without a hope. If that’s something you’re perfectly happy to belittle by arguing about it, then I feel sorry for you.
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Nothing will be done,never is and it will continue,income tax will go up to pay for local unemployed while they still let any Tom Dick or Hillary come here to work.
Nothing short of a revolution will fix this problem as we have been shouting for years to stop the rot,but they carry on regardless.
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this is where un checked immigration gets us , non training of locals to replace those at the end of a five years contract, come one come all,
the rising population , more social housing required , due to unaffordable housing being built.
unemployment will remain give or take 400?
come september( here before you know it) another 400 of the youth of today wil be looking to do something.
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42/Mona Lot: Had it not been to the immigrants, hospitality would be dying. (please show me a Jersey born, young or not, unemployed, who ever think of applying to a chambermaid/kitchen porter/bar person/waiter position?)
Had it not been to the immigrants, jersey royal would not be planted and then harvested. (please show me a Jersey born who would be happy to go digging to the fields for a good 12hours/day for the minimum wage. )
(There must be plenty of other things done by these immigrants and a Jersey born would never give a thought to ever apply to any of those jobs)
Although these positions must be very good – by the numbers these immigrants applying to them:)Hell, that’s so good cleaning dirty dishes, toilet-scrubbing, potato digging.
Truth is: if there is any other person than Eastern-European or Portuguese (maybe) applies to these positions, the employer might well gets suspicious – in regards of the most possible profit they can “get out” from the person they employ.
Yes, they are using the fact that immigrants usually do not speak proper English – can’t protest, don’t ask too much, so they are perfect.
Yes, they are “cheap”, because the minimum wage here is usually 3-4 times more than in their home country, so they are quite happy to work a weekly 45-50hours and then send money home – where food prices are quite similar to Jersey(rental is not that insane, but getting close)
Probably there is something to the “rumor”that Jersey youngsters are lazy. I would rather say they are lack of common sense, but that might be the mistake made during their education – which has just been highlighted, and not because of something to be proud of…
I live and work in Jersey since almost 2 years and got the initial impression of the Western people as someone who got used to the comfort of being employed and being paid – usually for more than the real value of the job they are in.
“Immigrants” many times working in hospitality with one or more degrees (myself included). They either hoping for better or have no other choice in their country/they want to practice English/use their statutory rights as the citizens of the EU.
The eastern part of Europe is not yet the “slave” of fake, not well funded spending, usually living and keeping the face from 5-6 different credits, mortgages and re-mortgages – which is very hard to maintain from the minimum wage, I understand. Maybe that’s why the Jersey born will never consider to work for such pay.
I hope my country, and the other eastern-European ones will be prospering countries again in a decade or so, and then we will go back (Europeans have roots and culture,and no, we are not really happy to be torn away), will be leaving the dirty clothes (and dishes/toilets) to be cleaned by you, the Jersey born, who blame the immigrants for all the bad things.
See if you’ll like that:)
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Stop whining everyone about the Eu folk. Yu mean to tell me Jersey people never up and off to somewhere other than Jersey and take other peoples jobs !!
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No 42….I say good riddance to the youth here. At least the continentals want to work, the others are just born lazy and expect expect and expect.
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Not really a surprise given that a single mum can earn up to £30k in benefits. Insane.
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Tough times for many at the moment,i got made redundant in december and have been applying for every job i can with my experience but its too competetive, also going for interviews for minimum wage jobs knowing that the money will barely cover the rent,trouble is the employers all know that people wouldnt stick around when something else better comes along no matter how much i babble about my desire to work for them.We just got to dust ourselves down and keep on going.I got a rejection letter from a well known security company yesterday addressed correctly on the envelope but addressed to someone completely different on the paper.Got to laugh sometimes!!!
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@47 Someone – I am Jersey born and have been made redundant, intelligent and speak 3 languages (English, French and German)and have applied for 16 jobs in hotels and the hospitality industry.
I was rejected everytime without an interview: and everyone of them cited the reason as I cannot speak either Polish or Portuguese.. not to speak to holiday makers but to other staff.
Now tell me that is right!!
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No 47- Your English is so much better than many posts on these forums. No wonder immigrants are taking the jobs, you are better at English than many of the people who are British born and bred! Well done, you deserve it. I wish our youngsters had the ability to read and write their own language, let alone 2!
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Judging by the standard of school leavers I’m not suprised so many people are out of work. The only thing you could use them for is as fence posts.
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Someone, 47.
I am in no shape or form critising immigrants, I have lived in Jersey for 41years, And never despair to see the way immigrants are treated here and paid a fraction of what they are worth, they have been taken advantage of for as long as I can remember, it used to be the French, then the Portugese now the Polish.
I have seen immigrants given accomodation you would hesitate to put a dog in, and charged the Earth for it.
That is the reason the wealthy are wealthy.
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ProudBean: I am sorry to hear this.
If you still looking for a job I might ask my previous employer – one local hotel company. They were looking for a receptionist or two, with your language skills and knowledge – however too much of intelligence is not always good to mention:)
The staff there in encouraged to speak English, although many of them Polish or Romanian, some Portuguese.
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53. “B”
Thank you very much for your comment on my language skills:)
The “downfall” (less reading, less interest in and appreciation of the traditional cultural values like classical music and other classically interpreted arts) comes from the U.S. and started a long time ago.
I enjoyed the hospitality of a US high school for half a year back in ’92. The signs were already there: pupils were using a map to name the continents…quite sad, isn’t it?
Back then I constantly achieved As or Bs in spelling and grammar – compare to the majority (95% of the rest of the class)often getting Fs.
I don’t think it did get any better since…
Well, anyway: thank you again, “B”:)
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There may be a direct connection between the very poor exam results and amount of young adults out of work.
Are our schools producing more unemployable young people than they did?
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I was made redundant last year and since this time have applied for a vast number of positions with the corporate bleaters who claim to be unable to recruit locals, however, I suspect the jobless figures to be a total whitewash and would estimate that the total would be nearer 3k and I would like to know how many people are out there like me, due to criteria, who have been labeled as “Self-employed” by social security and are not included in these figures
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The future, what are “the very poor exam results” of which you speak? Do you mean the somewhat distorted comparison of Jersey secondaries to UK comprehensives? I think that comparison is pretty much discredited now, eh?
My suggestion is that Jersey culture is not changing as quickly as our economic circumstances. Very average kids can no longer grow up knowing that they can walk into entry level jobs at trust companies and command really good salaries. Mindset needs to change. I do think that many school kids have cottoned on to the need to maximise their grades now, because Jersey is a different place and money has to be earned the hard way (and less of it), not gifted on a silver plate. A change in mindset would be a good start to making the next generation employable.
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Why does everyone blame each other rather than those actually responsible?!
Jersey has become such a miserable place, people are so quick to moan at each other, it’s sad. Everyone has problems whether they’re unemployed, employed, young, old, jersey born, not jersey born, retired…what difference does it really make????? As Jersey residents, the majority of us are all in the same boat…The problem is that it’s the States who have ruined this once beautiful island and have made life here very difficult for pretty much everyone, yet locals and non-locals alike seem intent on blaming other members of the community rather than those actually responsible.
Of course I appreciate that there are those who, for example, abuse the benefits system, but these people are from all walks of life, it’s not just the young. People have been abusing the system for a very very long time, but more focus is on the issue since the unemployment problems have had more coverage. Nothing will change this until the States do something about it.
As for those who seem to believe that the unemployment levels are as a result of the youth of the island being unintelligent and lazy……. does everyone who post here work exclusively with intelligent/highly motivated people?!… That has certainly never been my experience in the workplace!!!!
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