“I'm lucky enough to be in a job but one of my mates was made redundant six months ago and he's really struggling. He's put in 30 applications and not heard a thing. Must be really tough.”

“I can believe that there are more applicants per job here than anywhere else. Unless you want to work in a call centre there's no jobs at all out there.”

“I assume the 73 are the "too lazy and don't want work Brits" that people drag up every time low paid immigrants make the headlines.”

“That link doesn't work? But I've seen the stats in other papers...if I'm right it's actually the case that there are 73 registered 'jobseekers' for every vacancy advertised, not that there are actually that many people that apply.

I take lodgers in, many of whom are new to the area and need to find work. To be honest, they all have.”

“It's just where you set the bar, really. I'm a graduate with ten years marketing experience. I tried for two years to find a job vaguely suiting my qualifications, and there was indeed nothing locally. I had to settle for work slightly above minimum wage. I prefer that to benefits though.”

“http://tinyurl.com/6rmxnnn

Here are the figures folks”

“You're right, Sparkmeister, it's "73 claimants per vacancy" not "73 applicants per vacancy."

As the figures are supposedly based on "official" job data, does that mean these are Job centre advertised vacancies? Because not all jobs are advertised in Job Centres, not by a long chalk.

I'm hardly surprised by the figures though, appalling as they are. The area has been a dead-zone for job prospects for years, I wouldn't even try to look for a local position. If you're prepared to travel to Manchester or Birmingham there's lots of work, but if you restrict yourself to North Staffordshire then unless you are incredibly lucky or have amazing skills, you've got call-centres or shelf-stacking. I don't work in North Staffordshire and haven't for over ten years now, I just live here.”

“My son left college a year ago as a fully qualified sports coach, there aren't any vacancies in that field so he's basically trying anything, after applying for many jobs and having no luck with even an interview he is now working 7 days a week voluntary for Douglas McMillan a job which he is loving, I really feel for him, he is willing to work so hard as he has proved but cannot find paid employment.”

“Speaking from recent experience, It's not difficult to find a job, but it is difficult to find a good job.”

“What you have to remember is that a lot of people who say they went for a job or have applied for jobs are lying. You can understand why they do it - so that people don't brand them idle or feckless. But it skews the statistics. You can't really trust the unemployed to tell the truth. I'm retired now. But when I was signing on I always made out I was applying for jobs when I wasn't. It's just human nature and the way the World works. Let's get real.”

“Not all job seekers are lazy and 'don't want to work brits' - it's certainly not fair to tarnish everyone with the same brush. Sure, there are some sub-human scumbags out there - but they give the rest of us job seekers a bad name.
I have been a job seeker for 4 months now, after losing my job due to a freak illness which has left me permanently injured. I could believe that 73 people apply for every job in Stoke. There are simply not enough jobs, which is understandable due to the economic climate. It is tough.
My main gripe would be with the way i am treated, especially by prospective employers and recruitment agencies. I applied for a position last week and received a phone call back straight away from the agency who were representing - their words to me were "We have had loads of people far better than you apply for the job". Along with "What use are you?"
I have the correct qualifications, experience, references, (and i'd reckon a pretty 'normal' 25yr old) yet i am finding every day of job seeking to be the most demeaning and horific experience. I find recruitment agencies to be the worst, treating job seekers as a pawn in their sales games, to fulfil their KPIs.
I wish those out there job seeking all the luck in the world, i really do, because i am at a loss.”

“It makes my blood boil when you see the words written by so many that brand all benefit claimants as scum, idle, feckless, scroungers to name but a few. The minimum wage has now become the Maximum wage and by the time the income tax, NI contributions etc come off, it's hardly liveable. If you have a disability you're expected to work for much less. This Government really has indoctrinated a lot of people to hate the unemployed, disabled & anyone else who claims benefits.(The name Adolf Hitler comes to mind) If you'd worked for 38 years and find yourself having to claim benefits, do you not think it it you right when you've probably paid nigh on a £250,000 in taxes and NI contributions???? Unfortunately most cannot claim because they may have some savings or a house that is their own. Perhaps you hvae children and claim child benefit, maybe if this Government had it way perhaps families with more than one child claiming more than one benefit could also be branded as scroungers. It could be argued that people who choose to have children do have a choice in this, whereas people with genuine disabilites do not. This country gives out millions in aid to other countries, all out of taxpayers money, presumably the Government could argued that these are undeserving causes too?? Where does it end????”