TUC - Job vacancies twice as sparse in Labour held constituencies

There are almost ten dole claimants for every job vacancy in Labour held constituencies, more than double the rate in Conservative seats, according to a TUC analysis published last week, just ahead of the latest unemployment statistics.
The TUC analysis finds that there are 9.8 Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) claimants per vacancy in Labour held constituencies, compared to a ratio of 6.1 in Liberal Democrat seats and 4.5 in seats with a Conservative MP.

Across the UK, there are 6.3 dole claimants per job vacancy.

Of the 50 constituencies with the toughest job prospects - the highest number of dole claimants per job vacancy - 43 are Labour, four are Liberal Democrat, two are Conservative and one is held by the Scottish National Party (SNP). Forty one of the 50 constituencies with the most buoyant job prospects - the lowest number of claimants per vacancy - are Conservative held.

Now, call me cynical if you will, but doesn't this sound like a strategy to run down Labour constituency and cream all the pickings so they go to Tory ones? Nah - the Tories would never be so low as to just look after their own .... would they?