Birmingham has some of the UK’s worst affected areas when it comes to unemployment and economic hardship, according to an exclusive new analysis by Birmingham Eastside.
The city of a thousand trades includes five of the top ten constituencies across the UK which have the highest number of people per capita claiming Universal Credit.
These figures include employed people on low wages as well as those who have been unemployed over the past year, and were previously seeking jobseeker’s allowance prior to the roll-out of Universal Credit.
Younger workers feeling the pinch
People aged 16-24 across Birmingham represent six of the largest groups claiming financial assistance per capita, with Hodge Hill having almost three times the national average.
The news coincides with Boris Johnson’s announcement that lockdown restrictions may be gradually eased between now and the 21st of June, subject to a satisfactory data analysis every five weeks.
More than a quarter of a million people are currently relying on unemployment benefits as the pandemic continues to batter the economy.
