Sharon Taylor, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Stevenage has welcomed news that the number of people claiming unemployment benefit has fallen. There are now 68 more Stevenage people with jobs than last month and the unemployment rate for the constituency is 3% below the national average.
Despite the positive outlook, Sharon Taylor has insisted that there is no room for complacency,
“The actions taken by our Labour government are keeping unemployment much lower than in previous recessions. Stevenage people have not forgotten the 1980s when the Tory mishandling of that recession cost 8000 people their jobs and some of them never worked again.
“I’m delighted that from January everyone under 25 will be guaranteed a job, training or work experience if they are out of work for six months or more. I was pleased to see that the government has also announced proposals to ensure that work is always the best financial option, making sure that every person who has been on benefit for at least six months, whatever their age, will be at least £40 per week better off when moving into work.
”The Conservatives want to gamble with the recovery. By cutting spending now, they would stop the recovery in its tracks and make the recession longer and deeper – causing higher unemployment and bigger welfare bills in the future. At the General Election people will have a real choice.”