Unemployment Figures Grow As Spending Cuts Bite

22 February 2012

It is certainly no secret how dependent Northumberland has become on the public sector - following the de-industrialisation of the late-1970s and 1980s many of the jobs which our county lost were replaced by positions created within the public sector.

With our traditional industries, such as shipbuilding and mining, almost all but gone, more and more Northumberland residents turned to the county council, local hospitals and other state-funded organisations for secure employment.

While this may have been extremely beneficial for a number of years now the Government is squeezing the public sector to make savings wherever possible, and with such a high proportion of Northumbrians employed by it, we are once again fighting against soaring rates of unemployment.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) recently reported that between February and April 2011 unemployment in the North East grew dramatically by 18,000 - leaving us with the highest rate of unemployment in the country with 10.7 per cent out of work.

However, it is somewhat unsurprising that the North East has seen the second-highest change in unemployment figures across the country given the seemingly never-ending cuts which we have had to deal with.

Just how hard we have been directly hit by the Government's cuts is undeniable, but we are now also experiencing the knock-on effects within our private sector - as businesses which had once worked closely with state-funded organisations are starting to feel the strain.

As the country prepares for the possibility of yet more spending cuts along with the threat of a renewed global recession, it is anticipated that more jobs will be lost - a proportion of which will inevitably hit our county and in turn our redundancy figures.

What many people do not realise is that support and redundancy advice is available before the worst happens and those affected should seek advice at the earliest possible stage to prevent further issues from developing. Preparing for the worst eventuality is often the best way to prevent financial hardship should redundancy occur.

Unemployment can affect people in all matters of ways - not just financially. A job loss can put relationships under a huge amount of strain, can affect people's health and may lead to further problems including issues relating to housing if troubles aren't addressed urgently.

By seeking help, fully-qualified advisers can work with people who are at risk of redundancy to prepare in case they do lose their job - this will often help to prevent missed payments, stop bills from racking up and can ultimately allow people to feel more in control of their situation.

When it comes to financial matters prevention is always the best course of action but it is never too late to ask for help - whether its concerns surrounding the possibility of debt or mounting arrears there is always a solution.

Anyone with concerns about their employment or financial status can drop in to the DAWN CAB in Morpeth for free and independent advice or for free telephone advice contact the Northumberland Advice Line on 0844 4111 309.