41,000 let down by Labour

12.00.00am GMT Thu 12th Feb 2004

41,000 more people have become economically inactive in the East Midlands since 1997 with 249,000 more nationally according to figures released today by the Liberal Democrats.

Over half a million people of working age are without work in the East Midlands with more than 270,000 of them 18-24 year olds.

Paul Holmes MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Work, said, "Millions of people have been betrayed by this Labour Government. It's shocking that so many young people have been ignored and sidelined. The Government shouts about how well it is managing employment levels but turns a blind eye to the millions of working age who are not working.

"There are shocking numbers of people who are not working and not in the Government's official unemployment figures. This may be evidence that benefit sanctions only drive people towards the black market. The New Deal is in dire need of reform. Forcing people to jump through hoops is not the answer to youth unemployment."

Today's ONS figures reveal that there are now 528,000 economically inactive people of working age in the East Midlands. The figure has increased from 487,000 in May 1997 to the current 528,000 - an increase of 41,000.

The largest yearly increase for any age group has been the 18-24 year olds (the group covered by the New Deal for Young People).

For this group, the economically active figure has increase by 16,000 to a total of 276,000.The Government defines 'economically inactive' as "People who are neither in employment nor unemployed. This includes those who want a job but have not been seeking work in the last four weeks, those who want a job and are seeking work but not available to start work, and those who do not want a job.