On the scrapheap at 18 as unemployment soars

By Gareth Rose
Published on Tuesday 8 November 2011 11:50

YOUTH unemployment has soared across Scotland with the number of 18- to 24-year-olds claiming jobseekers’ allowance doubling in half of local authorities, new figures have revealed.

The Trades Union Congress has warned the total number – including out of work 16- and 17-year-olds – will soon hit one million across the UK. It warned the country is now “facing the biggest youth unemployment crisis in a generation”.

All 30 Scottish local authorities included in the statistics – Orkney and Shetland were excluded for being too small – saw unemployment rise among 18- to 24-year-olds last year.

Since 2007, 16 local authorities have seen an increase of 100 per cent or more, with the highest rises in East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.

Clackmannanshire and North Ayrshire have the highest rates of youth unemployment in Scotland, at 13.8 per cent, followed by East Ayrshire on 12.6, and West Dunbartonshire on 12.4.

North Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Falkirk also have more than one in ten unemployed.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “We’re facing the biggest youth unemployment crisis in a generation with close to one million of our young people unable to find work.

“With the economic outlook the gloomiest it’s been since the end of the recession, the bleak prospects facing young jobseekers look set to be with us for some considerable time to come, unless the UK government changes course now and brings in immediate measures to support jobs and growth.

“Young people need particular help to make sure they don’t spend long periods out of employment or education.”

Since 2007, the total proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds claiming jobseekers’ allowance has almost doubled in Scotland – from 4.3 per cent to 8.3 per cent.

It is now higher than England’s 8 per cent rate, but less than Wales on 9.1.

Iain McMillan, director of CBI Scotland, said: “We have been through a very severe economic downturn – the worst recession since the 1930s.

“Unfortunately, in times like this, young people find it very hard to get work because they are competing with people who are already skilled.

“The real solution to unemployment, including youth unemployment, is to get back to economic growth, where the economy creates more jobs.”

However, while the economy continues to struggle, the picture is bleak for young people leaving schools and universities.

Robin Parker, president of the National Union of Students Scotland, said: “At a time of record youth unemployment and a rise in jobseekers’ claims, the SNP’s guarantee that every 16- to 19-year-old will have the opportunity to be in education, employment or training is welcome news.

“However, unless there is the funding, particularly to colleges, to back this up, this guarantee could come at the expense of opportunities for older students to get a second chance at education, or to come off the dole queue.

“The SNP manifesto pledged to protect college numbers, and every SNP candidate made a personal pledge to protect college places.

“These statistics show that they must deliver on this commitment, not just for 16-19 year olds, but for people throughout the age groups.”

Iain Gray, the Scottish Labour Party leader, said: “Behind these figures are a generation of young Scots rich in talent, full of potential, with a hunger to work, but let down by an SNP government.

“Scotland is in the grip of the worst youth unemployment crisis in a generation, and yet the SNP’s response is to choke off opportunity by cutting funding for our country’s colleges by 20 per cent, and cutting capital investment.”

But a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish labour market continues to outperform the UK as a whole – with lower unemployment, higher employment, and lower economic inactivity rates. And Scotland’s rate of youth employment is 4.4 percentage points higher than the UK. It is also important to note that a fifth of unemployed 18- to 24-year-olds are also in full-time education.

“But more needs to be done, which is exactly why this government is taking strong action to address youth unemployment, including the record 25,000 Modern Apprenticeship places this year and in each year of this parliament, and the ‘Opportunities for All’ programme – guaranteeing a training or learning place for all 16- to 19-year-olds – which will help give our young folk the life chances and opportunities they deserve.”

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Hugh Hefner

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 10:40 PM

What a load of melodramatic pysh...........for want of a better description and I have actually tried to think of one.. If I ended up unemplyed at my age 38, I would never consider myself on the scrap heap and Im willing to bet plenty at 48 wouldnt either. Ive changed careers 3 times since I was 18 and ran my own business. I doubt very much there are 18year olds who think this way, but if I encountered one, Id offer this advice: ".its just a phase son, you'll grow out of it, now get off your ar$e, pull yourself together and get on with your life..whats that, yeah I know it doesnt help with silly journalists and politicians trying to make political capital from your misfortune, just remember if they were in any way capable then they wouldnt have to, don't listento their pysh"

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Electric​ Hermit​​

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 10:37 PM

#10 the first part of your comment sounds like our dear leaders "Plan McD's"

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12

Charles Linskaill

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 10:30 PM

The Youth of Scotland are our offspring, It is us who have failed them, and not themselves, Our Youth of Scotland have done their best to get jobs, and have come against a brick-wall, Which We Built for them, We Are A Disgrace!

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Charles Linskaill

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 10:29 PM

We have Failed our youth of today, and should be ashamed of ourselves for being so selfish in looking after our own needs first, which through undeniable 'Greed', caused a dreadful economic situation, causing very little employment!

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10

Taibhsearachd

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 07:58 PM

In these conditions you MUST be pro-active. If you are unemployed, get together with some of your friends and write down a few ideas. These may be as simple as approaching local fast food joints, chippers, pharmacies etc. to offer delivery services using your motorbikes. Sometimes local landowners have rundown outhouses, old stables, garages & the like - contact them & see if they would like you to renovate them or even just give them a lick of paint. Similarly, many people can't do their own maintenance for one reason or another, & you can do things like repairing &or replacing gates,outside lights, cracked paving, clearing drains & gutters etc. You can also offer to do this for your local schools, churches & clubs. Also volunteer for jobs such as acting as a club secretary, or making refreshments for club meetings. All such jobs can go on your CV and you can also get good references. NEVER turn down a small job if you are not offered payment - a job well done, with good humour, leads to another. Once you get to know many people in your neighbourhood & they like you, you'll be on your way. So open your eyes, smile, be pleasant, and be pro-active.

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Phil C

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 07:46 PM

Our Super-Teachers have taught these youngsters well!! Our lovely trade unions will continue to price our youth out of employment.

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Faceless_bureaucrat

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 07:45 PM

#6 - Actually, wee Eck hasn't said anything about importing immigrants to work (and nobody ever accuses the Pakistani's of stealing our jobs with a 60% unemployment rate ) , he just wants to import them period. Being a good socialist his utopia is a harmonious land of coffee coloured people AKA CubaBrasil.

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Faceless_bureaucrat

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 07:39 PM

Why would any employer train our youth when they have a ready supply of cheap labour from Eastern Europe willing to work for peanuts.. There is estimated to be 100,000 of them working here in Scotland and the number of displaced native workers is considerable but more importantly, why would they spend thousands training the native youth. The political and business class have betrayed the youth of this country.

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Bug R Tiffanno

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 04:36 PM

The Poles and other Eastern Europeans seem to all find at least two jobs each while our native youth lie in their beds with hangovers or worse. Meanwhile Eck reckons we need more imported labour for the good our economy.

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5

maisiedotts

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 03:58 PM

Not good news but not as bad as England, thank goodness we have the SNP managing the block grant budget. If it was left to the coalition they would make Maggie Thatcher look like Mother Teresa!

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4

Montford's Jaicket

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 03:11 PM

Ian Gray hasn't a clue what he is talking about. Young people going to college or university are NOT guaranteed employment when they graduate. I know of a recent graduate who holds 2 Masters degrees but when he looks for jobs in his fields of study all the employers want experience. At the age of 23 he is left to wonder if his decision to study was the right one. Employers need to start taking on young people and allowing them to gain experience. Unfortunately, there is a huge pressure for older people to continue in employment because their pensions have failed to grow as they had anticipated. Result: young people can't get work and old people can't afford to retire. What a mess!

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Scottish Neo Prohibitionist SNP activist

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:58 PM

and l bet the bosses are still crying out for more immigrants

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haggis scoffer

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:38 PM

ian gray missed out that we are reaping the hurricane of unemployment that 13 years of a labour government set the foundations for, the squandering of britians wealth,mass immigration under the blair creature and the gibbering eejit from fifes leadership, now as they tour the world grabbing every pound they can they do nothing to help our own youngsters.

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jock in the box

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:34 PM

You wanted the United Kingdom. Well you got it. Hail the Union dividend

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