Long-term unemployment in the rise

Locals who have been claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance for more than 12 months has rocketed by 88 per cent in the past year, up from 320 to 675.

The figures were highlighted by MP Gregg McClymont, who expressed his concern that in the Cumbernauld,

Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East constituency almost a third of all JSA claimants have now been looking for a job for more than a year.

Mr McClymont said: “Behind the detail of these figures lies the growing problem of people who are losing hope in the system. When someone has been unemployed for a long time it becomes increasingly hard to find a

job, especially when there are nine people chasing each vacancy in the constituency.

“The only real solution to long term unemployment is to boost economic growth and create jobs. Yet the SNP’s response is to cut college budgets, including that of Cumbernauld College, giving people less chance to retrain and improve their job prospects.

“With the Tories sticking with austerity despite no signs of recovery, we need a Scottish Government that will stand up for unemployed people in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.”