News / Number of people on unemployment benefits up slightly
THE NUMBER of unemployed people in Shetland increased slightly over the last month, according to new figures published today (Tuesday).
The total number of people in Shetland receiving job seeker’s allowance and those on universal credit required to search for work stood at 560 on 10 September.
This represents 3.9 per cent of the local population.
The number of claimants is a rise of five from when the last figures were published for August. On 9 July the figure was 525.
But the figure for September 2019 was 220, highlighting the sharp increase in claimants through the coronavirus pandemic.
In comparison, the latest figures for Orkney show 405 claimants compared to Shetland’s 560.
On 10 September the total number of people claiming universal credit benefits in Shetland was 1,168. This was a rise from 1,155 in the previous month.
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