Only 2 in 5 leaving Job Seekers Allowance in the South East are moving into work

2.04.03pm GMT Wed 16th Nov 2005

New figures obtained by Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, David Laws MP show that a shrinking proportion of people coming off Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) have been moving into work over the last six years. In the South East area, the percentage of those coming off JSA who had found work in 2005 is 40.4%, down from 50.2% in 1999.

• Nationally the proportion moving into work (compared to other destinations) is steadily falling - by nearly 10% - in September 1999, 49.1% of those coming off JSA had found work, in September 2005 that figure had fallen to 39.3%

• The number of people moving into work nationally has fallen by 44% from 133,670 in September 1999 to 75,135 in September 2005

• The rest failed to sign on (some return to work could be hidden in this), or moved onto other benefits (e.g. incapacity benefit, income support).

David Laws said:

"The claimant count has now risen for the ninth month in a row and the Government are under pressure to keep unemployment as low as possible.

"But over the last six years something strange has been happening to the figures. We assume that people leave jobseekers allowance because they find work, however that's proving increasingly rare. If only 2 in 5 jobseekers are now moving into jobs what's happening to the rest?

"The Tories were damaged by the realisation that people were being pushed off the unemployment roll and onto incapacity benefit to massage down the numbers. We need to look very carefully at what is happening to make sure that the same slight of hand is not now happening again."