Press Room
Government takes further responsibility for helping the
unemployed get back to work but it's not new funding
The Chancellor was obliged in this pre-election Budget to
further outline the Government's responsibility to help the
unemployed, particularly the young - often referred to as 'NEETs'
(people under 25 years old, not in employment, education or
training) - and the measures announced today will go some way to
provide the necessary measures but did not go far enough says
leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton.
Ellie Gamble, senior tax manager at Grant Thornton says: 'Whilst
any measure to tackle the problem of unemployment amongst the under
25s are to be welcomed, the money to pay for the extension of the
Young Person's Guarantee of work, work experience or training for
under 25s who have been unemployed for more than six months to
March 2012 is only an underspend of the existing budget allocation.
It's not new funding.
The unemployment rate for those aged 18 - 24 is 17.5% as
compared to a figure of 7.8% in the general population*. The
student population has also increased to over 2 million. However,
being a student only defers the date when the young person is
looking for a job.
" The problem of youth unemployment is not going to disappear
and forms one of the greatest challenges to the incoming
administration, of whatever political persuasion. A closer
inspection to ensure that the scheme is properly targeted and fully
fit for purpose is warranted if this 21st century phenomenon is to
be solved, rather than left to solve itself," concludes Gamble.
ENDS
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