The latest information on claimant count unemployment was released earlier today by the Office for National Statistics. For Glasgow, the details are that 25,540 persons received JSA in February 2012, equivalent to 6.2% of the working age population. For persons aged 18-24 6,865 claims were made, giving a rate of 9.8% for that particular age group.
Between January and February the total claimant count in Glasgow increased by 680, or by 2.7%; and the increase for the 18-24 age group was 5.0%. In Scotland the total increased by 2.5%, and for the UK by 2.2%; for the 18-24 group the changes were 4.5% and 3.5% respectively.
On the other hand, between February 2011 and February 2012 the total claimant count in Glasgow fell by 1.1% (from 25,835 to 25,540) whereas in Scotland it increased by 3.1%, and by 9.7% in the UK. And while claims to the 18-24 age group increased by 5.0% in Glasgow (from 6,535 to 6,865), they went up by 5.9% in Scotland, and by 14.0% across the UK.
The unemployment rate in Glasgow (6.2%) is higher than in Scotland (4.4%) and the UK (4.2%); but is lower than in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. The rate for the 18-24 age group in Glasgow (9.8%) is higher than in Scotland (8.9%) and in the UK (8.4%).
(For additional information, click on the hyperlinks to get visualisations produced using Google Charts, which open in a separate browser. Scan the cursor over the columns to get the exact details. The links can also be opened if you read the email on a Blackberry, i-Phone 4 and Android 3.0 and above.)
