A Dundee councillor has called on the city’s senior politicians to “stop the politicking” and get round the table with other key agencies to tackle unemployment in the city.
Labour councillor Tom Ferguson says it is time for a joined-up approach by all sides to reverse recent rises in the jobless total.
The Lochee member was speaking after the latest row between the SNP and Labour over unemployment statistics and the Scottish Government’s policy on relocating civil service jobs outwith the central belt and particularly to Dundee.
Figures revealed by The Courier on Friday showed that the number of unemployed people in Dundee had soared by 66% in the past five years, and by 10% on the previous figure in 2011.
And on Monday we revealed that MSP Jenny Marra had raised the fact in Parliament that no civil service jobs have come to the city since the SNP came to power in 2007.
Labour say the “model-based” figures supplied by the Government’s Office of National Statistics reflect the real picture in Scotland, while the SNP favours figures showing how many people are claiming Jobseekers Allowance and have accused Labour of using out-of-date, estimated figures to talk Dundee down.
The party say the opposition attack last week on Dundee’s employment rates were misleading and an attempt by the Labour party to manipulate the statistics.
Dundee East MSP Shona Robison said: “Whatever measure you use, it is clear that unemployment is a tragedy for the individuals involved and the biggest issue that we as politicians need to deal with.
“Different methods of measuring unemployment can be used which give different results. But there is a problem if you use one method sometimes and another method at a different time as Labour are doing in order to try and tell a negative story about the city.
“New figures from the Office of National Statistics released last week by the House of Commons Library showed that average ‘claimant count’ unemployment across the city is 7.2%, which is less than the Scottish average of 7.3% and UK average of 7.9%.
“Using this method, Dundee has 5,667 unemployed, nearly 2,000 lower than the model-based calculation Labour are now using.”
Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie said: “The SNP Government and Dundee City Council are stretching every sinew to bring investment to the city.
“Funding capital projects is the single most effective way in which we can get the economy moving again.
“The Scottish Government and Dundee City Council have brought forward infrastructure projects in Dundee and secured investment to keep the waterfront project moving forward.
“We have the V&A, the replacement Olympia, seven new schools and we are funding a record number of apprenticeship places in Dundee.”
Joe FitzPatrick, Dundee West MSP, added: “The Scottish Government’s prioritising of youth unemployment by appointing the only dedicated minister for youth employment in the UK is bearing fruit, with a welcome drop in unemployment in the 18-24 age range with 21% fewer claiming JSA in Dundee East and 11.3% fewer claiming in Dundee West.”
Mr Ferguson said: “It’s not about arguing over figures, it’s all about creating grass roots jobs for the city. I’m all for creating a working group involving all parties and people from the business community, a focus group to give it a really good try and bring more jobs to Dundee.”