A ten-year plan for Bolton’s ‘economic growth’ has been revealed by the council amid concern over a 4,000 person jump in unemployment in the borough since the start of the pandemic.
Councillors heard that the current unemployment rate in the borough has seen a ‘staggering’ leap to 7.2 per cent, up from 4.9 per cent in March 2020.
That means in September this year, 12,610 people in Bolton were claiming unemployment related benefits, while just 1,805 job vacancies were listed in the borough. READ MORE: How Greater Manchester's infection rates compare to the rest of England A council scrutiny meeting heard that the figure had improved from April, a year after the start of the pandemic, when the unemployment rate in Bolton was 8.3 per cent.