HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Brown pledges to tackle youth unemployment [December 2009]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 December 2009.

The Prime Minister assured young jobseekers that new measures would bring down unemployment in the coming year during a visit to the Acton Jobcentre Plus in London today.

Whilst hearing the stories of a number of young people who had been helped by their local Jobcentre, he said:

“We really don’t want to have a generation of young people who are out of the labour market for too long because it does hurt ambition and it causes a cycle for the next generation.”

Gordon Brown was joined by Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper as it was announced that 100,000 new jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities for under 25s would be created in 2010.

Yvette Cooper, who today launched the employment white paper “Building Britain’s Recovery, achieving full employment” made the point that youth unemployment has historically continued rising after a recession and should remain a focus for Government:

“Unemployment is around 400,000 lower than we expected it would be at the time of the Budget as a result of a lot of the extra support and help that has been put in place.

“But it is still causing a big problem for families right across the country and we still expect unemployment to keep increasing in the New Year.

“That is why we need to do more to help people, especially young people, get back into work.”

“Our aim is to work with employers to get youth unemployment falling in the second half of next year.”

The Government will guarantee employment or training for all under-25s who have been out of work for six months or more.  The white paper also sets out plans to change the benefits system to help motivate older unemployed people, single parents, carers and those starting up new-businesses.