A dramatic rise in the number of people finding work has been revealed in Buttershaw, Woodside and Delph Hill.

A third of the people surveyed earlier this year now have jobs or are self-employed, compared to only 22 per cent at the same time last year.

The 50 per cent increase in employment in the previous 12 months was reported at a board meeting of Royds Community Association, which uses Government Single Regener- ation Budget money to run a wide variety of projects on the three estates. The figures were part of a major annual survey which interviewed 351 people, about 10 per cent of the population of the Royds area.

The official unemployment rate was highest on Buttershaw, at 23 per cent, compared with sevenper cent on Delph Hill and five per cent on Woodside.

The Royds Review and Tracking Study also found that there was a significant increase in the number of people surveyed who are working longer hours, with men more likely to be working more than 40 hours a week; 29 per cent were working those hours, compared with only 16 per cent in 1998.

Andy Greenough, economic development officer for Royds Community Association, said the association had three employment outreach workers, who worked on the estates.

They have created a register of local people's skills, which helps them to match applicants to the right jobs. They have also built up good relationships with employers, who go directly to the association to find staff.

The report said: "As with previous years, the majority of respondents' jobs were permanent and based in the Bradford area."

The main factor which prevented people accepting jobs was still low pay, although the number of people who mentioned that barrier has dropped to 48 per cent this year, compared to 69 per cent in 1996.

"The cost of child-care was still an important factor," said the report.

Buttershaw Councillor Keith Thomson said: "It's very good news that all the evidence coming from the economic working party of Royds is that people on Royds who were unemployed are now finding ways of getting employment."

Coun Thomson (Labour), also a director of Royds Community Association, said the association funded training which made a real difference to people's employment prospects, offered child care and had experienced staff who helped to find jobs and local people to fill them.

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