MP Welcomes Fall in Tamworth Unemployment

Thursday, April 17th, 2014

job employment opportunitiesChristopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, welcomed figures released this week which show unemployment in Tamworth has fallen once again to a new medium term low.

Figures published by the ONS show that the number of unemployed claimants in Tamworth constituency in March 2014 was 968. This represents a rate of 2.0% of the economically active population aged 16 to 64. This number of claimants is a massive 730 lower than March 2013 and 99 lower than in February 2014.

Responding to these figures Christopher Pincher said, “I welcome the news that unemployment in Tamworth has fallen once again and continues to drop below levels seen before the Labour government’s recession.

“Together with the fall in inflation which we also saw this week, there is now compelling evidence that the government’s long term economic plan is working. But we must not be complacent, there is still much to do. We must make Tamworth the place to set up or expand a business.

“Local businesses are looking to take on staff of all ages and experience, South Staffordshire College currently reports there are around 50 apprenticeships still looking to be filled.

“There are opportunities out there for hardworking people who aspire to get on in life and I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement in the Budget raising the income tax threshold to £10,500. This means 38,199 people in Tamworth will benefit from a tax cut and 4,477 people have been taken completely taken out of tax since 2010. The tax take from April’s pay packets will be cut.

“Also, businesses will no longer have to pay National insurance contributions for employing under 21s encouraging companies to take on staff, grow and further reduce levels of unemployment. We are firmly on the side of jobs and it is important we continue back small businesses so they have the opportunity to become bigger businesses.”

Tamworth is well above the regional and national levels of employment, which also continues to rise. Nationally unemployment is down 77,000 to 6.9% at a 5 year low.