More than 30 people are chasing each job in parts of Britain with more than 100 unemployed people for each vacancy in one part of Northern Ireland, new figures reveal. The data, compiled by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), highlights the challenges facing jobseekers during the coronavirus pandemic and comes as the government restores sanctions to the benefit system. Conditions on benefit claimants were suspended in March. Some 34 areas had at least 30 unemployed claimants for each local vacancy in mid-June, say the most recent figures available. Six Northern Irish districts have ratios above 50-to-1, peaking in Causeway Coast and Glens, where 5,045 claimants were chasing just 49 jobs – 103 claimants for each vacancy. Tony Wilson, director of the IES, told the Observer that Northern Ireland’s labour market is based on public sector employment, with more job security but less job creation than service-led economies. “The fact there are fewer vacancies in Northern Ireland doesn’t mean their economy’s a basket case, it just means their economy’s a bit different,” he said. “But the figures are stark. In moments like this, with very few new jobs being created, you wouldn’t want to be unemployed in Northern Ireland. “My parents moved from Northern Ireland in the 1970s, like a lot of people looking for work, and we will likely see similar migration in this recovery if the economy doesn’t recover quite quickly,” he added. The north-east has nearly 15 claimants for each vacancy, peaking at 40 in South Tyneside, and a similar picture exists in Merseyside and the West Midlands. Some of the “red wall” seats won by the Conservatives last year are struggling, such as Bolsover and Redcar. “Areas that have seen their economies really badly affected through successive recessions and crises now appear to be suffering really severely in this one,” said Wilson. The figures come one month after the decision to bring back benefit sanctions. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) insists the requirements imposed on claimants will take account of local labour markets, such as requiring them to undertake training or CV-writing rather than looking for jobs. But Charlotte Hughes, who provides support to benefit recipients in hard-hit Tameside, said: “The DWP should in an ideal world be compassionate and understanding but I can’t see this happening. I feel they will be harsh on people who don’t fulfil their conditionality requirements.” A DWP spokesperson said: “Through our Plan for Jobs, we are now rightly focusing on getting Britain back into work. People can make an appointment with their work coach if they can’t get the help they want online or over the phone, and work coaches will be calling all claimants to help them get ready for the world of work.”