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Navin Shah AM backs call for tax on bank bonuses to fund jobs as youth unemployment spirals in Brent and Harrow
By Navin Shah AM
Today I called for a tax on bank bonuses to fund work placements for unemployed 16-24 year olds to prevent another ‘lost generation’. My call follows a 6.9 per cent rise in Brent in the last year and 5.17 per cent in Harrow in number of young people out of work for over six months.
It is clear to see that this Mayor and his Conservative government’s policies are failing as we're back in recession and youth and long-term unemployment are continuing to rise.
Large increases in youth and long-term unemployment are deeply worrying and indistinctive of a lost generation, as we saw in the 80s and 90s under the last Conservative Government. We must do all we can to stop that happening again.
To tackle this crisis, I am calling for a tax on bank bonuses to create jobs for 18-24 year olds and get them into work, as well as build much-needed affordable housing in London.
The figures published today reveal that in Brent:
- There are now 725 young unemployed people looking for work
- There are now 2695 people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and can’t find work.
- There are a total of 9981 unemployed people looking for work
- There are only 1618 job vacancies
The figures published today reveal that in Harrow:
- There are now 290 young unemployed people looking for work
- There are now 820 people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and can’t find work.
- There are a total of 4212 unemployed people looking for work
- There are only 724 job vacancies
Navin Shah AM calls for tax on bankers’ bonuses to tackle spiralling youth unemployment in Brent and Harrow
Figures released yesterday shows youth unemployment continuing to increase. I call for a tax on bankers’ bonuses to fund work placements for unemployed 16-24 year olds to prevent another ‘lost generation’. This call follows a 126.9 per cent rise in the number of young people out of work for over six months in Brent and 192.9 per cent increase in Harrow.
According to January’s unemployment figures, released on Wednesday, there are now 235,177 people looking for work in London and 9,762 in Brent and 4,257 in Harrow. This is an increase of 9.5 per cent across London in the last year alone, an 8 per cent rise in Brent and an 8.2 per cent rise in Harrow.
It is essential the government and Mayor Boris Johnson do all they can to get Londoners back to work instead of continuing to cut, with what we can see, has dire consequences. I am calling for a tax on bankers’ bonuses to fund work placements for young people, desperately in need of employment.
It was the bankers’ who got us into this mess and it is about time they paid their fair share to help our young people who are bearing the brunt of a recession they did nothing to cause. Why are ordinary people being forced to pay for others' mistakes?
The figures published today reveal that in Brent:
- There are now 9,762 unemployed people looking for work
- 2,050 of them are under 24
- 590 have been out of work for more than six months
- There are only 1,279 job vacancies in Brent
The figures published today reveal that in Harrow:
- There are now 4,257 unemployed people looking for work
- 985 of them are under 24
- 205 have been out of work for more than six months
- There are only 635 job vacancies in Harrow
Across London:
- There are 235,177 people out of work
- 55,410 are under 24
- 16,655 have been out of work for more then six months
- There are 32,580 job vacancies in the capital - seven jobseekers for every vacancy
Navin Shah AM
Action needed now to tackle unemployment in Brent
Local Labour London Assembly member Navin Shah calls on mayor and government to tackle 10.3 per cent unemployment in Brent as jobless rate across London reaches worst level for almost fifteen years.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics this week revealed that one in ten people across London are now unemployed. The number has risen by 28,000 in the last three months to 425,000. The London jobless rate of ten per cent is the highest since 1997 and the second highest in the country.
Brent has one of the worst unemployment rates in the city at 10.3 per cent. Local London Assembly member, Navin Shah, said the figures were "devastating".
Calling on the mayor and government to take urgent action, Navin said: "These devastating figures are a direct consequence of the government's policy of putting people out of work in the public sector and stifling growth in the private sector. It's very worrying for Brent, London and the UK. The government and mayor need an urgent plan for growth and to get people off the dole and back to work."
According to the latest official figures there are currently 1,387 vacancies in Brent and 13,000 people unemployed - meaning there are 9 people chasing every local job.
Published by NeonHorizon. Promoted by Keith Ferry on behalf of Navin Shah, both at 20 Byron Road, Harrow, HA3 7ST