A SALFORD based unemployment centre manager has admitted that his staff have been given suicide awareness training because of the stresses of unemployment in North West.
Alec McFadden, the Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre Manager, said that some of the people who come to him are so stressed that they feel the only way out is to take their own lives.
“The whole issue of mental health is of major consideration.
“I’ve got to say that I’ve been in this job for a long time and over the last six to seven years I’ve seen an increase in mental health (problems) which almost exclusively has come from poverty.
“I was forced, four years ago, to put my staff through a suicide awareness course because the advisers here and the receptionists were dealing with people who were so stressed they openly said that they intended to take their lives.”
Unemployment in North West: “Figures need to be put in context”
According to the Office of National Statistics, the unemployment rate in the North West region rose by 7,000 but dropped nationwide by 37,000.
The government has stressed the need to put the figures in their context, and not to view the summer spike without consideration of the yearly trend.
Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds, said: “When it comes to our jobs market, we’ve made great progress since 2010 with employment up in every region.
“It’s good news in the North West where the number of people in work has risen by 67,000 over the past year, and there is a record 1.63 million women in work.
“It’s important that we work to keep up this momentum so more people can make the most of opportunities available out there in the economy.”
By Charles Creasey
@CharlesCreasey
Recent Comments