| Abstract: | This paper argues that British 'welfare to work' policies areinadequate, given the geographical concentration of worklessnessin northern regions and in cities and former coalfields. Whileunemployment has been converging geographically, inactivityhas not. All the 'welfare to work' target groups - youth unemployed,long-term unemployed, lone parents, the long-term sick, andpartners of the unemployed - have closely similar geographicaldistributions. Official arguments that there are adequate jobvacancies everywhere are shown to be flawed. The geography ofworklessness is largely explained by the weakness of adjustmentthrough migration and commuting to the loss of jobs in manufacturingand mining, the cities being particularly affected by 'urbanrural manufacturing shift'. Policy needs to promote more relevantemployment in high unemployment areas, through increased spendingon derelict land reclamation and on transport and other infrastructure.The case for more supportive policies towards manufacturingshould also be considered. |
