Here in Wyre Forest long term unemployment is still up 9% compared to this time last year. It is clear that this government is letting down Wyre Forest.

We urgently need action to get local people into work. This is why Labour is calling for a compulsory jobs guarantee, which will get any adult out of work for more than two years, or young person out of work for a year, into a job- one they would be required to take.

Wyre Forest can’t wait any longer for action. Ministers must get off their hands and start helping now before they condemn a whole generation to joblessness.

Dr Matt Lamb, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest, responding to Labour Market Statistics, said:

“This weeks fall in overall unemployment is welcome. The Government should use this opportunity to tackle the unacceptably high levels of long-term unemployment and youth unemployment. More than 900,000 young people are unemployed and over 250,000 young people are long-term unemployed.

These figures also show prices are still rising more than twice as fast as wages which means working people are over £1,600 a year worse off on average under this out-of-touch Government.

Labour would act to tackle high levels of long-term unemployment with a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to get people back to work and a Basic Skills Test to ensure everyone claiming jobseekers allowance has the basic English, Maths and IT skills they need to find a job. Labour’s Compulsory Jobs Guarantee and our Basic Skills Test will help get people back to work and help us to earn our way out of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Matt Lamb Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest