Jobs Unemployment on rise in city as benefits claims increase

UNEMPLOYMENT has increased in Bristol during Labour’s first year in office - but has dropped in most of the surrounding areas outside the city limits.

- Rich AULT

In contrast to gloomy national projections, which show the UK unemployment rate at a four-year high, most parliamentary constituencies have seen falling numbers of people receiving unemployment benefits.

As of July, 1.71 million were unemployed and claiming benefits. That's 6,200 fewer than in June, and 71,500 fewer than in July 2024, when Labour took office.

However, it is still 465,500 more people on unemployment benefits than in March 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the UK labour market.

The figures - which use claimant counts to measure unemployment in local areas - show that in the combined constituencies covering Bristol and the surrounding areas of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, unemployment has remained stable, overall. About 21,290 people were unemployed as of July, the same number as in July 2024.

However, unemployment has increased in nearly all constituencies within the city.