by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
England's most traditional seaside resorts have seen unemployment rates increase in the last 12 months in spite of the resurgence of the 'staycation', TUC analysis of official statistics has revealed.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that five million Brits have abandoned their annual foreign holiday due to the credit crunch, choosing instead to holiday in the UK. However, some of England's best-loved seaside destinations have been hit hard by the economic downturn, and are suffering from above average unemployment rates despite the 'staycation' trend.
In Bournemouth claimant unemployment levels have grown by 130 per cent since July 2008 - well above the national average percentage increase of 81 per cent. Weston-Super-Mare has seen its claimant unemployment level jump by 122 per cent, and claimant unemployment in South Dorset (covering Weymouth and Swanage) has gone up by 113 per cent.
Other seaside resorts have experienced lower percentage increases in claimant levels, but now have claimant unemployment rates much higher than the national average. These include Southend where the claimant unemployment rate is 5.9 per cent (up 2.6 percentage points on the year), Harwich (which includes Clacton-on-Sea) where the claimant unemployment rate is 5.3 per cent (up 2.3 percentage points on the year), and North Thanet (which includes Margate and Herne Bay) where the claimant unemployment rate is 5.2 per cent (up 2.1 percentage points).
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Millions of people are opting to save money during the downturn and have rediscovered what great holidays you can have in the UK.
'However, in spite of this welcome boost to the UK's seaside resorts and tourist industry, unemployment is at crisis level in many of our best-loved traditional English holiday destinations.
'Many seaside towns have made impressive and imaginative efforts to regenerate themselves - and deserve real praise - but even the most ambitious scheme cannot buck the effects of such a deep recession. Just as in the rest of the country, a whole generation of young people in seaside towns are finding it almost impossible to make the right start to their working lives.
'We should welcome any signs of economic recovery, but they are very shallow. The economy remains in deep trouble with unemployment still set to carry on rising all through next year.
'Unemployment remains a national emergency. Fighting it, particularly among young people, should be number one priority. Public spending cuts are the last thing we need, and run the risk of sending the economy into an even more serious decline."
The fact seems to be that the “staycations” people are having and have been having were true “staycations” in that they not only stayed in Britain; they in fact stayed at home and holidayed in their own homes and the local parks.
Local parks and open spaces definitely have seen an increase in visitor numbers and judging from the litter that has been collected in many parks they definitely had a great time. Shame though that they do not know to not have a picnic and leave everything behind when they leave. But such seems to be the nature of the British public nowadays in that they do not seem to care what they do in parks and open spaces.
“Staycations” have been certainly the norm for many families and individuals in Britain this year and I should think that “staycations” are here to – pardon the pun – stay and this is not a bad thing.
© 2009
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