Unemployment in Harrogate and Knaresborough has continued to remain low.
Official figures released today show that the unemployment rate locally was 3.1 per cent with 1,905 people claiming job seekers allowance or other out-of-work benefits. This is 35 people fewer than the figure for June 2021 and a full 2.3 per cent lower that the national average.
Out of that figure, 280 are aged between 18 and 24 years old with an unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent – 1.7 per cent below the national average.
Mr Jones commented:
The worst-case predictions of soaring unemployment as the furlough scheme was rolled back have not materialised.
At the end of September, ten weeks after most restrictions have been lifted, the furlough scheme ends completely.
Although the Office for National Statistics say that there is no sign of redundancies starting to pick up ahead of this we should remain cautious.
It is clear though that our local economy has bounced back strongly and empty shop rates in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge are lower than pre-pandemic.
We should recognise that every time the unemployment figure decreases by one it is actually one more person earning an income for themselves and maybe their whole family.
It is a person spending that income in the local economy supporting the high street. Employment is part of a virtuous circle.
That is why it is so important that we never lose our focus from growing our economy and creating the jobs that come with that.
