There are too many people chasing every job

According to government figures unemployment is falling, but detailed analysis from UNISON has shown that in parts of the UK more than twenty people are chasing every vacancy. UNISON Chief Dave Prentis, explains just how high the odds are stacked against jobseekers. 

A recent news story showed that 1,700 people had applied for just eight jobs at a newly-opened branch of Costa Coffee in Nottingham; great PR for Costa, but not so good news for the jobseekers of Nottingham. Each applicant for the jobs at Costa had – statistically speaking – only a 0.5% chance of getting one of the coveted jobs. This may be an extreme case, but the picture is bleak for job seekers across the UK.

Since the coalition came into power, more than 500,000 public sector jobs have been cut, with experts predicting that this number could reach as high as 1.2million by 2016/17. The government believes the private sector can pick up the slack, but as those in work tighten their belts or face the possibility of redundancy and those looking for work are forced to cut back significantly, the outlook is just as bleak in the private sector.

Across England, Scotland and Wales, almost four registered jobseekers are chasing every vacancy. Not bad odds, you might think, but when in some parts of the UK the number is as high as 20, as it is in Hackney (one of the poorest boroughs in London) it is easy to see why people are losing hope.

The Isle of Wight has the highest job-seeker-to-job ratio, with nearly 24 people chasing every job. This is alarming enough, but when you consider that these figures only take into account those registered for JSA payments – and that the true figure is in fact be significantly higher – then there is real cause for concern.  In the last quarter of 2012 the claimant count stood at 1.54 million but unemployment, including those not eligible for benefit, was 2.5m – significantly higher.

Attacking the public sector doesn’t only result in jobs being lost – the quality and availability of vital public services diminish with each pound slashed from public sector budgets. Cuts are not working, and for the thousands of families across the UK who, directly or indirectly, have been affected by cuts, things are only getting worse.

So what can be done? In the upcoming budget the government has a golden opportunity to turn things around for the UK’s jobless, its public sector, and its beleaguered economy. Three years of cuts have not brought about any improvements to our economy, or to the quality of life for the UK’s poorest, so it’s time to try something new.

UNISON believes it is high time for the government to see the folly of their ideologically-driven austerity policy, and to implement a bold new strategy for jobs and growth that starts with proper investment in the public sector and the county’s infrastructure.

Our research has shown that there is a great deal of untapped potential in UK jobseekers, but with so many applicants going for so few roles, employers and employees are unable to get the best from one another. Proper investment, and a comprehensive programme of job creation is what’s needed to rebuild confidence in the job market and get the economy moving again.

Dave Prentis is the General Secretary of Unison