In October 2012, there were 210 unemployed men and women in Broughty Ferry according to statistics released from the Office of National Statistics.
These figures are based on the claimant count; the number of people claiming Job Seekers' Allowance. These figures therefore exclude those individuals who are unemployed and seeking work but do not qualify for Job Seekers' Allowance. The official figures also exclude those individuals that are underemployed currently seeking more hours of paid work.
Unemployment in Broughty Ferry broken down into individual areas:
Broughty Ferry central 63
Balgillo 73
Barnhill 43
West Ferry 31
+
Total The Ferry 210
These figures are a stark reminder that unemployment hits areas such as The Ferry with the same force for the individuals affected and their families as it does elsewhere. As one Labour politician commented in the 1960's, 'for the unemployed person, unemployment is 100%'.
The unemployment figures for The Ferry do not sit in isolation. Alongside them are the figures for Dundee that show that the unemployment rate in the city continues to be higher than it is in Glasgow.
These high rates of unemployment result from the policies of a complacent UK Government. They urgently need to adopt Labour’s 5 point plan for jobs which includes a tax on bankers’ bonuses. Also responsible is an out of touch Scottish Government now permanently focused on its referendum for a separate Scotland that needs to re-order its priorities.