Gloucester tops county unemployment league

​One in 10 men in some areas of Gloucester are unemployed.

New statistics have shown that one in ten men in the Westgate, Podsmead, and Barton and Tredworth wards are all still searching for work.

It comes despite funding worth £6 million being invested into helping to train people to find work in the city through Gloucester Works.

There were a total of 3,082 unemployed people in Gloucester in December, which is the highest in the county. Of those 2,305 are men.

There are 2,629 unemployed people in Cheltenham, 1,850 in Stroud and 1,568 in the Forest of Dean.

Jamie Powell, 19, from Dursley, is currently volunteering at the Mind charity shop, in Southgate Street, but he has been looking for employment for the past year.

He said: “It’s been really difficult trying to find a job.

“Because I’ve only got a few qualifications and no experience, employers won’t look at me.

“There aren’t many jobs around here, and I don’t feel there is much help either.”

Ivan Taylor, chairman of Westgate Quarter, the group representing businesses in Westgate Street, is not surprised to see the unemployment rate in the city centre so high.

He said: “I am not shocked to see that Westgate has the highest level of unemployment.

“I think part of the problem is that a lot of jobs are only offering part time hours and not full time jobs.”

Gloucester Works has received £6 million provided by the European Social Fund, the RDA, LSC, City Council, County Council, Jobcentre Plus, the URC and Gloucestershire First, to fund three years’ work.

Andrew Gravells, deputy leader of Gloucester City Council, is concerned that the amount of money being spent is not justifying the amount of people being found employment.

He said: “I’m very keen to see how many people these enormous amounts of public money are helping to get back into work, and the knock on effect that is having in reducing unemployment rates in some of these wards.”

Ahmed Goga, Gloucester Works director, is confident that they are helping the unemployed in the city.

“Throughout most of 2009, unemployment rose by an average 2,730 a month and those finding work averaged 2,577 a month,” he said.

“In the county as a whole, the number of vacancies in January 2009 stood at 1654 compared to 3,300 by the end of 2009. And, in Gloucester, notified vacancies in June rose from 566 to 1089 by the year end.

“Taking on board what employers are telling us has meant more people in work than at first feared.”

In the past 12 months, they have found work for 400 people.