More than 14,000 people in Northern Ireland have been out of work for at least a year, according to new research published today.
This marked the biggest increase in the UK, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said. Northern Ireland’s peak for unemployment is not expected to arrive until some time after Britain's with the region slower to emerge from recession.
The biggest increase in long-term joblessness across the UK was in Northern Ireland where 14,325 people have been on the dole for at least a year, up from 9,860 over the past year, while parts of London have also been badly affected, said the TUC.
“With many local councils in the process of issuing redundancy notices to thousands of their employees over the coming weeks, the future for those about to lose their jobs and those who’ve been out of work for some time looks especially bleak," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber.
“The Government’s huge cuts to public spending will see thousands of public sector workers being made redundant in the new year, and those working in the private sector could be hit just as hard.”
Almost 250,000 people across the UK have been out of work for more than a year, with many spending their third Christmas on the dole, according to the research.
Total long-term unemployment, including those not eligible for benefits, increased to 839,000 in October, a 34 per cent rise on the year and the highest level since February 1997.
PA