South Ayrshire has 52 per cent more unemployed people than five years ago

dailyrecord.co.uk:

New figures show that 52 per cent more people of all ages are currently unemployed in South Ayrshire, compared to five years ago.The figures were released this week by the Department of Work and Pensions on behalf of the Office for National Statistics and cover the period over December 2017 and December 2022.The claimant count for South Ayrshire in December 2022 was 2385 (all ages) with 415 aged between 18 and 24 searching for work- and 665 aged 50 and over also looking for employment.Five years ago, the claimant count for all ages stood at 1565, representing a 52 per cent increase.And 22 per cent more 18 to 24 year-olds are looking for work, compared to 2017, while 58 per cent more people aged 50 and over are in the same situation.Anne Connor, Jobcentre Employer and Partnership Manager said: “Our work coaches are here to support people taking the first steps on their journey back to work.“The priority is helping those 50+ and others who may need to build confidence and develop new skills because they’ve been out of the jobs market for a while.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.“For the coming year plans are already in hand to focus activity on helping businesses recruit, as there are still are plenty of vacancies available in all industry sectors.”She added: “Importantly, changes to Universal Credit mean people are working more and keeping more of what they