Spending cuts in Chichester could mean rise in jobless

The county town has enjoyed relatively-low levels of unemployment over the years, compared with some other areas of West Sussex.

And one reason is the high number of public sector jobs in the city, with large employers including the county and district councils.

But the county council's strategic environmental services select committee was told this could be about to change.

Cllr Nigel Dennis said Chichester was 'somewhat cushioned' because of the high numbers working in the public sector.

But, this may not be the case in the future.

Chichester was one location where the county council had an influence on unemployment figures, because it was a major local employer.

Cllr Dennis said future changes planned by the county council were likely to have an impact on potential unemployment levels in the Chichester area.

Committee chairman Cllr Duncan Crowe, said it was the private sector which had suffered so far.

"It is my belief that the public sector, which has grown over the last few years, is likely to suffer over the next few years," he added.

The select committee was told that unemployment in West Sussex had increased by more than 111 per cent in the past year.

Head of sustainable development Ron Crank said in the past month there had been an increase of 0.2 per cent, taking the total figure for the county to 13,773.

But it was disturbing to see the August to August increase was 111.8 per cent, compared with an average in Britain of 73.1 per cent.

A lot of the unemployed were redundancies in the East Grinstead, Worthing and Horsham areas.

Cllr Christina Coleman welcomed a new initiative, supported by the county council, to help women find work.

"We need more women in business and industry across the county," she added.

Councillors heard the Women's Wisdom organisation delivered free training for women interested in setting up a business or social enterprise in the 'creative industries'.

Cllr Deborah Urquhart, cabinet member for the environment and economy, said the county council had made a 15,000 contribution.

Two courses were to be held, and there were waiting lists for these.

"Women's Wisdom has done excellent work in the Portsmouth area in bringing together women interested in the creative arts and industries who do not necessarily have the confidence to take this forward into forming their own business and taking it further," she added.

"A large proportion will go to college and take up vocational qualifications. This covers the whole of the county, and we hope there will be further courses, depending on the capacity of the organisation."

Mr Crank said the Citizens' Advice Bureau was being 'absolutely hammered' as far as numbers of clients were concerned.

The organisation had put in a request for additional funding for the gap between October and April next year.

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