Unemployment in England is now at the highest levels since 1996. This, of course, was the last year the Tories were in power. It gets worse. Unemployment among women is at its highest level since records began in 1992. Similarly, youth unemployment is also at an all-time high. More than 1 in 5 under 25s is now unemployed. The Future Jobs Fund, Labour's scheme to get young people trained and into work, and KEPT in work, has been scrapped.
The south west is being particularly hard hit. Devon and Cornwall saw a 5.7% increase in youth unemployment in the last month alone, and a staggering 29.3% increase on this time last year. (This compares with national average increases of 3.5% and 16.2% respectively.)
Why? Devon is reliant on Public Sector jobs. Two major local authorities are based in Exeter, a large hospital, a health trust, the PCT, the Met Office, a major global university, schools, colleges... 40% of Exeter's employment is in the public sector. And those services are now being cut.
Of course the mantra is that private businesses will fill the void, that private sector jobs created will offset public sector job losses. Well, Job Centres across Devon are being notified of 13.2% LESS vacancies than last month, and 34.1% less vacancies than this time last year.
In recent history, the UK's highest unemployment has been in the years 1984-86; 1992-94; and now, 2011. There's a pattern. It seems you cannot have a Tory-led government without paying for it with jobs and livelihoods.
Cameron and Osborne's "Plan A", and stubborn insistence of sticking to an austerity programme that is strangling any hope of growth is killing the employment market. Don't believe the "deficit reduction" line - the structural deficit in the UK has gone UP under the coalition. People are losing jobs, and households are spending less on consumer goods as fuel costs, rent costs and food costs escalate. Growth is stagnant, and the public sector is bracing itself for further cuts - Devon County Council has already said it needs to find a further £40 million of savings next year.
There is an alternative. Ed Balls has set out a clear five-point plan nationally, to get the UK growing again, and locally Labour councillors are fighting hard to retain vital services for Exeter's communities. Next May you will all have a chance to send a clear message to Westminster by voting Labour in the local elections.
Our message? "Your plan is not working - it's hurting."
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