Ranil Jayawardena has welcomed new figures showing 693 fewer people in North East Hampshire claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance compared to 2010 – around a 70 per cent drop. This means more people in work, with the self-respect and security of a good job and a regular pay packet.
People are getting off benefits and into work across the South East of England, with 203,000 more people in work since the last election.
Overall there are now a record 30.9 million people in work, with 1.9 million more people in work since the last election. This has been driven by businesses creating jobs, with 2.3 million new jobs in the private sector.
These new jobs are not insecure or poorly paid. Three quarters of new jobs since the last election are full-time, and as the new figures also confirm, pay is now rising above inflation - with total pay up 1.6 per cent on the year, well ahead of inflation, which was 0.6 per cent over the period.
Ranil Jayawardena, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North East Hampshire said: “It’s excellent news that 693 fewer people are relying on Jobseeker’s Allowance in North East Hampshire. Coming alongside the news that wages are rising faster than prices, it’s clear that the Conservatives’ long term economic plan is working for families in our area, helping them to be more financially secure.”
“This is happening because, working through our plan, we’ve been backing businesses with better infrastructure and lower jobs taxes to create more real jobs, and fixing welfare so that work always pays. These aren’t insecure or poorly paid jobs. In fact, three quarters have been full-time and wages are rising.”
“Voters in North East Hampshire face a clear choice on 7 May. Either we stick with the Conservatives’ plan which is delivering jobs, so more people have the self-respect and peace of mind that comes with a regular pay packet; or we put all that at risk with an Ed Miliband government propped up by the SNP, bringing economic chaos with the same old policies for more spending, more borrowing and higher taxes that got us into a mess before.”