Hackney shares top position in London jobless league
A larger proportion of people in Hackney are on the dole than anywhere else in the capital, new figures reveal, with the exception of one other London borough which shares the number one spot for joblessness.
In December, 11,209 people were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) in Hackney, equivalent to 7.3% of the working age population. The London wide average was just 4.3%
Only the neighbouring Olympic borough of Newham fared as badly, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, with an identical proportion of people claiming JSA. Waltham Forest took second place, with 6.6% claiming the benefit.
The proportion of JSA claimants in Hackney has been rising since it dipped to a low of 4.3% in 2008, and is now the highest it has been for over ten years. There are more than 22 claimants for every unfilled Jobcentre vacancy, compared to just 13.4 claimants for each vacancy a year ago.
Hackney Council recently secured £5.3 million from the Mayor of London’s riot regeneration fund to develop a designer retail village. It is expected to create 200 new jobs.
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