Almost 14,000 people now claiming job seekers' allowance in Lincolnshire

The number of people stuck in the job queue in Lincolnshire has risen to nearly 14,000 in the past six months.

A total of 13,775 people were recorded as claiming job seekers' allowance last month.

It is up from 13,533 claiming in August and 12,877 this time last year.

But it is 800 people less than in 2009 when the recession was at its peak.

Now, more than a third of those claiming job seeker's allowance are aged 18 to 24 years old, a report from the Lincolnshire Research Observatory has revealed.

This figure – 35 per cent – is blamed on graduates entering the jobs market, but is higher in the county than the national average of 31 per cent.

Chief executive of the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce Simon Beardsley said if young people did not get out into the workplace, they could end up on a downward spiral.

He said: "It's the 18-to-24 figure that concerns me because some will be new to employment and so for them it will be about getting out of that pattern of not being able to find a job and understanding how work is a part of life."

The figure is the highest proportion of total unemployment made up of young people since records began in June 1985.

University of Lincoln spokesman Ian Richards said: "Each summer several thousand graduates will enter the regional labour market after completing their studies.

"Some of these will be from the University of Lincoln, and others will be students returning to Lincolnshire after studying elsewhere.

"To get a true picture of the condition of the graduate labour market, it's helpful to look at the broader context.

"The national graduate destinations survey looks at graduate employment rates six months after graduation.

"The latest survey shows that nationally nine out of ten graduates are in work or further study six months after finishing university. At the University of Lincoln, the figure is even higher at 93 per cent.

"So while the labour market is unquestionably tough, official figures show graduates still have strong employment prospects."

The number of women on the unemployment list has also risen and is put down to job cuts in the public sector where the majority of the workforce in female.

And they also make up 35 per cent of all those claiming unemployment benefit in Lincolnshire, compared to 34 per cent nationally.

In Lincoln, 4,263 people were signing on in September compared to 4,223 in August.

Last year in September, 3,949 people were claiming job seeker's allowance.

In England and Wales, 1,377,187 were claiming benefits in September compared to 1,366,328 in August and 1,251,142 last year.

Source: Thisislincolnshire.co.uk, Friday 14th October 2011