Nearly three quarters of long term unemployed jobseekers referred to the Government's Work Programme remain out of work, figures show.

Of the 1.2 million people referred to the Programme by the end of March 2013, almost 900,000 are still unemployed, according to data released by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA).

A third of all individuals who have been on the Programme for at least one year have found employment, while 88,000 young people on Jobseekers Allowance on the Programme had found work by the end of March.

However ERSA has warned regional variations in the placement of jobseekers into work have begun to appear, with lower performance in more challenging regional economies.

Around 15% of those on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) have found employment, fewer than for those on Jobseekers Allowance. This is reflective of challenges faced by people with disabilities and health conditions in the labour market, ERSA said.

Chief executive of ERSA, Kirsty McHugh, said: ‘These figures are a clear illustration that the Work Programme is performing for the long term unemployed. Put simply, the longer jobseekers are on the programme, the more likely they are to find a job.

‘Results for young people are particularly encouraging, with nearly half of those on the Work Programme for at least a year entering work.

‘Despite the success in helping 321,000 long term unemployed into work, it is taking longer to help those on ESA into employment. This is inevitable given that many have been out of work for many years and have complex health and skills needs.'
 
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