Rochdale MP, Tony Lloyd, is calling for specialist help for over 50s to return to work, as figures show a rise of 59.9% in Rochdale.

Tony said, “In Rochdale, there well over a thousand people who are over 50 on unemployment benefits looking for a job, an increase of 59.%.

“For those who lose their job in their 50s, they fear they will never work again. Instead of offering real help, the Conservatives are turning their backs and writing off this generation.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. Labour in government would provide specialist help for over 50s to return to work.

“Unemployment can never be a price worth paying and we need action now to help people with training and specialist support to move into employment and raise living standards.”

New analysis shows that, nationally, there are now 375,000 over 50s on unemployment benefits and looking for work, up 65,000 on before the pandemic.

The Conservative failure to provide proper support to help people into work is letting down people in Rochdale, who need better support to find employment that can help.

Across all groups of economically inactive people, including those looking after family members, the short-term and long-term sick and others, there are over 1.7 million people who want a job.

—Ends—

Notes to editors:-
 

	Feb 2020	July 2022	Increase in number of claimants	Percentage increase
Total UK	310,110	375,055	+64,945	+20.9%
Rochdale	730	1,165	435	59.9%

 
• ONS claimant count, via Nomis: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?mode=construct&version=0&dataset=162
 
• 200,000 more people out of work on sickness benefits since before the pandemic: https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/sick-britain-200000-more-people-out-of-work-due-to-ill-health-since-the-start-of-the-pandemic-1782446