Unemployment figures for October show a slight rise of Thanet people out of work, up 1.6% – equating to 70 people – on September.
Overall the unemployment rate for the isle stands at 5.3% of the working age population, amounting to 4,375 people.
Thanet has the second highest rate of youth unemployment in the south east with 840 claimants aged between 18 and 24, a rate of 9.1% compared to the Kent average of 5.2% and the national average of 5%. Hastings has the highest youth unemployment rate in the south east.
In Kent 31,670 people were claiming unemployment benefits in October, an increase of 1.8% (+565) since the previous month.
Thanet Jobcentres are working with companies including Burger King, Tesco and G Casino to fill vacancies.
Lily Chiu, recruitment specialist at the isle’s job centres, said: “In the past month, Burger King have again been in touch with several more vacancies to fill at their Broadstairs store in the run up to Christmas. From the interviews so far, three customers are now working for them. With 11 interviews taking place this week, and a further 13 slots available next week, it looks likely that all their vacancies will soon be filled.
“With the recent focus on festive jobs, we have been working with Tesco in Margate and G Casino at Westwood Cross to fill their seasonal roles. After pre-screening candidates, six customers attended interviews at the Margate store. Following this, three customers have been given provisional offers for seasonal contracts. In addition, the restaurant manager at G Casino has taken on two food & beverage hosts and a commis chef after conducting interviews at the Jobcentre.
“The care sector remains a priority with the demand for staff continually growing. In response to this, we are continuing to work with several providers, including MyLife Homecare, CareTech, and PCAS Kent. Last week, CareTech were back interviewing in the jobcentre as they have further vacancies at Turner Lodge and Prices Avenue in Margate. MyLife Homecare, which is new to the area, has already been successful with taking on staff this week and more interviews are lined up in Ramsgate Jobcentre.
“As we approach the end of the year, we are looking forward to creating more employment opportunities for our customers. We have recently started engaging with Kent County Council to support filling their vacancies, and they hope to attend some of our recruitment events in the new year. Additionally, we have started working with one of the national recruiters at Dunelm, who is keen to set up Work Experience opportunities going forward.”
The next Jobcentre recruitment event 7th December in Margate, make arrangements to attend through Jobcentre coaches. There are a range of employers and providers due to attend, from NHS to Mitie and Tesco.
It’s no surprise that unemployment is going up because Lambeth, Islington and other London councils are moving their unemployed to Thanet. London councils and housing associations are actively buying up new builds and moving their unemployed to our local area.
I have nothing against DFLs who purchase their own homes in Thanet as they add to the area but it’s disgusting that London boroughs are allowed to take away local housing and dump their unemployed in an already struggling area. The Labour run councils that are doing this are utter scum.
Unfortunately, it’s been going on for decades (the ugly tower block near Herne Bay seafront was actually built by Greater London Council in the late ’60s!).
I rather doubt that Housing Associations, at the very least, could afford to buy up developments of new build in Thanet.
TDC have not long agreed to buy units at Spitfire Green, if thanet can afford some , there’s no doubt london boroughs can. Go out to Aylsham its unrecognisable from what it was 10 years ago , much of it funded by out of area local authorities.
Deals have been done that release the land value of old iondon estates and that money used in part elsewhere.
London authorities have for many years placed people on their housing lists in rented accommodation in thanet.
It’s all part of being a cheap place to buy property by the standard of the south east.
Isnt the government going to give them a thrashing soon? Must be because the cons are unelectable & want to start blaming more than usual.
Concerned. It’s was the Tories scum Lady porter char of Westminster city council with evil Thatcher pulling the strings “ dole by the sea” that started the unemployable influx from London. Lady Porter heiress to the Tesco empire was found guilty of gerrymandering and fined £millions.
Welcome to the London Borough of Thanet
Take their medicine & Dentists away from them immediately, then when they are homeless steal their tents. Then send the savings to millionaires who vote Conservative!
I honestly don’t see anything wrong with any of that.
That’s not very fair on the millionaires who vote Labour. Or all the working class people who vote Conservative.
If they refuse work, stop benefits send them back whence they came or if local give them jobs like weeding or litter picking or even washing the filthy streets, then pay them for the work done not before. There’s always something to do. Park keepers do one example.
In the 50’s and 60’s especially there was any amount of jobs vacant, and people from the commonwealth countries were welcome to take them up, it wasn’t just from the Caribbean! Yet I remember Harold Wilson, the Labour Prime Minister from 1964, being criticised for the then unemployment rate of around 3%! He answered them by saying there would always be at least 3% of people who were unemployable and he was right! So the Thanet rate is no big deal really!