A further drop in unemployment figures for Northern Ireland is welcome, “but there is no room to be complacent while we are lagging behind the rest of the UK”, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston.
“The number of people claiming unemployment benefit is down, which is undoubtedly welcome news, but let’s not forget that the economic picture is improving much more rapidly elsewhere and we still have enormous problems with youth unemployment”, Mark explained. “Northern Ireland has benefited from a UK-wide recovery, but our executive has nothing to congratulate itself about. We have the highest levels of economic inactivity and the highest percentage of people claiming jobless benefits across the whole country.”
“To keep up with the rest of the UK, Stormont ministers should be implementing business friendly policies, aimed squarely at creating jobs, but that simply isn’t happening. The executive should be using the cash which the government provided to create enterprise zones. It should be combatting the costs of segregation and division, which hold our economy back and put off investors. It should be providing particular help to companies that export goods and services, reforming employment law to bring it into line with the rest of the UK and boosting the economy by using money which has been provided by the government to build housing, roads, hospitals and schools.”
“It’s always good news whenever anyone who has been unemployed finds work. However Northern Ireland could be doing so much better. We should aspire to lead the UK’s recovery, rather than be towed along in its wake. We badly need an executive which shows teamwork, supports enterprise and makes creating jobs its top priority.”