Scottish youths face jobs crunch
It has been revealed that jobseekers allowance claims in Scotland have risen by 72% in the 18 to 24-year-old age group since the recession began. With nearly 40,000 unemployed Scots in this particular age band, funding the jobseekers allowance is costing just under £1.9 million a week. Despite the fact that younger workers across Scotland are desperate to find employment and relieve their own financial stress, the situation is certain to get worse before it gets better.
While the Scottish government continues to focus upon the wider economy and the public sector, the young unemployed of the country are struggling to make ends meet. Groups such as the Princes Trust have been very vocal in their calls for significant financial assistance for this particular age group as they are in many ways the future of the Scottish economy. As you might expect, youth unemployment will no doubt be centred upon some of Scotland's more socially deprived areas and lead to further social unrest and standard of living problems.
While initially the Scottish economy seemed to fare very well when the recession hit the rest of the UK, possibly because of a dependence upon oil, there is no doubt that problems are starting to emerge in many areas of society and the economy. Whether the Scottish government has the power and funding to assist the youth unemployed remains to be seen but help is needed and it is needed now.
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