Unemployment drops in Guernsey

Wednesday, 31 July 2024 06:55

Guernsey's latest unemployment figures for June 2024 show a decrease in jobseekers but an increase in benefit claims.

At the end of June 2024, the number of islanders with no work in Guernsey decreased to 204.

This is 84 less than this time last year.

This coincides with an increase in benefit claims, there were 14 new claims made during the month of June, compared with 10 during May.

There has also been a fall in the number of jobseekers with part-time work, who are eligible for Income Support due to their earnings.

This number has dropped from 272 in 2022, to 54 people.

Director of Operations Ed Ashton says the 'large reductions' in jobseekers, both with and without part-time work, are due to process changes influenced by last year’s Reducing the Cost of Public Services survey.

"The feedback questioned the effectiveness of some of the work requirements built into the income support scheme.

As part of an ongoing review of claims, officers identified a number of people who they were satisfied were meeting their work requirements, and as such were not currently looking for additional work.

For these individuals, it is no longer considered appropriate to focus Job Centre resources on reviewing their work-related activities.

However, individual cases will be picked up again if their circumstances change.

This change in process has enabled the Job Centre to focus more of its existing resources to support jobseekers who are yet to fully meet their work requirements.”

The Job Centre is currently advertising 292 positions, 82 less than in the same month last year.