Unemployment rate in Hendon is double the national average
The number of unemployed in the borough of Barnet is higher than the national average, according to figures.
Latest figures show that out of 375,000 people in the borough, 188,000 of them were economically active yet around 11,000 of those were unemployed,
The rate is 6.2 cent compared to 5.4 per cent nationally.
London Assembly member for Barnet Andrew Dismore said the trend was “worrying” and that, in particular, the area of Hendon had a “serious pocket of unemployment” which was more than double the national average.
He said: “I am also concerned about the quality of jobs in Barnet and the wages they pay. We know that a quarter of jobs in Barnet pay less than the London living wage.”
But a spokeswoman for Jobcentre Plus said Barnet had a higher proportion of students than in other areas of the country, and that this was bumping up the unemployment rate.
She said measures to address unemployment included supporting young care leavers into apprenticeships and training as well as helping the long-term unemployed and the disabled, and people with mental health issues.
She said: “Some of the case studies I am aware of have made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and we never lose sight of the fact there are real people behind these numbers.”
Latest figures show the unemployment rate for London is 6.4 per cent.
