McLaughlin blasts Economy Minister's failure to tackle major economic challenges

The latest employment figures show the Economy Minister Gordon Lyons was still failing to tackle the major economic challenges facing Derry and the rest of the North, Foyle SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin has said.

She was speaking after the figures from the Northern Ireland Labour Market Report show that between April and June last, neither economic inactivity nor the employment rate changed in a 'statistically significant way.'

Economic inactivity in the North is currently 28.3%, which is 6.9% higher than the UK rate while the employment rate here for April-June this year was 69.7%, which was 6% lower than the UK rate.

Commenting on the figures, Mrs McLaughlin said: “Economic inactivity is a real challenge for our society, yet the latest figures released show that the Minister has made no real headway in addressing it despite the multiple calls for him to do so.

“We have had years of DUP management of the economy, yet it still seems that we see many of the same issues persist time and again.

“The challenges facing our economy are not impossible to solve. The absence of affordable childcare, low qualifications, long waiting lists and caring responsibilities are keeping people who want to work and contribute to the economy in this way out of a job. The SDLP has plans to address all of these pressing challenges and it is about time that the Minister showed leadership on these issues.

“Of course, the route to higher employment and lower economic inactivity is skills. The Minister should be undertaking to introduce policies that will increase the skills base in our city and across the North by delivering the commitments in New Decade, New Approach, including through lifting the MaSN cap and prioritising 10,000 student places at Magee.

"Yet where is he? Totally absent from the institutions of devolved government and leaving the people of Derry to the whims of a Tory Prime Minister who none of us will elect.”

Mrs McLaughlin concluded: “He should get back round the table and start putting in place the solutions that we know will make a difference for the people of Derry.”