The worst employment figures in the UK
19 January 2011
TUV economics spokesman David Vance has responded to the latest economic figures showing unemployment still rising in Northern Ireland even as the rest of the UK show signs of recovery; "Minister Foster responds to the latest bad new on the employment front by studiously ignoring the sheer scale of economic inactivity here.
She claims that our unemployment rate of 7.8% is now on a par with the rest of the UK. She forgets that our rate of those economically inactive is 29% - the highest in the UK, When combined, 36.8% of those of working age are not in jobs - the WORST in the UK. Over a third of people here do not work - what an indictment on the Minister's performance. No wonder she keeps quiet about it . We need fresh ideas and coherent strategy if we are to put Northern Ireland back to work and that means putting some politicians out of work"
