Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley is urging the UK Government to help those still out of work nearly two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As of November 2021, almost 500 more people in Lanark and Hamilton East are claiming unemployment related benefits than there were in March 2020 – just before the UK went into lockdown. 

The number of 18–24-year-olds claiming unemployment related benefits has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels however, Lanark and Hamilton East has a higher than average rate of unemployment in this age group. 

In the constituency: 

• There were 2,735 actual claimants in November 2021, which was 4.5% of the population aged 16-64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 4.6%. 
• This was 10 lower than October 2021 and 480 higher than March 2020, before the first UK lockdown began. The majority of this increase happened in March-May 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. 
• There were 455 claimants aged 18-24 in November 2021, 15 lower than October 2021 and 25 higher than March 2020. This was 6.2% of the population aged 18-24. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 5.6%. 

Employment law is reserved to Westminster so the Scottish Government are unable to directly influence the figures. 

Commenting, Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley said: 

“The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits remains more than a fifth higher than it was in Lanark and Hamilton East pre-pandemic. 

“Hundreds of hard-working people in my constituency who lost their jobs through no fault of their own are still searching for work because they have been left behind.”