Jersey seeing rise in long-term unemployment

The number of people who have been out of work for more than a year in Jersey has almost doubled in the past year.

230 people have been registered as actively seeking work in Jersey for more than 12 months.

The total number of people currently unemployed in Jersey is 1,280 - more than a year ago but fewer than last month.

About one in five jobseekers are teenagers - and half of those are on the Advance to Work scheme.

But fewer than half of the young people who have participated in the programme have found a job afterwards.

The States has put £4.5m into employment schemes as part of the fund to boost the economy.

Economic Development Minister, Senator Alan Maclean, said: "These are people who otherwise would not have found work, so I think the money is certainly well invested.

"In Jersey terms, unemployment is at a higher level than we would like to see it, if we compare ourselves however to other places we are actually much lower than many."