NI Conservatives’ economy spokesman, Johnny Andrews, has warned the executive not to be complacent, as the latest statistics showed a slight rise in unemployment.
“Although the unemployment figure rose only slightly in the latest quarter we must remember that almost 12,000 jobs were lost in 2012 altogether”, Johnny emphasised. “The number of jobless people is projected to rise again this year. To date the executive has shown very little real determination to help the private sector grow and create jobs.”
“The flags protests are doing real damage to our economy but yet there is still no progress in combating division is our society. That failure is crippling shops, restaurants and hotels in Belfast and beyond. We also need action to boost skills and exports, like using powers to create enterprise zones, rates relief for exporters and tax credits for research and development.”
“Instead the emphasis has been on tinkering around the edges, by reallocating parts of the block grant which ministers have failed to spend. Let’s see some decisive action on a shared future, let’s see the £132 million which the chancellor provided for infrastructure spent wisely and let’s get the economy moving and people back in jobs”.