More than half of jobless adults not on benefits

About 5,000 adults in Guernsey do not work, but the majority are able to support themselves without claiming benefits, the island's government has said.

Owner-occupiers, high-income households and older people who were mortgage-free were among those most likely to leave the workforce, a report by Policy and Resources (P&R) said.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, P&R vice president, said the "misconception" lots of people chose to claim benefits rather than work was "largely disproved" by the report.

Soulsby said it was still important to support people back into work after periods out of work or ill health, adding unemployment had "been shown to be detrimental to people's wellbeing".

The report also revealed more women do not work than men aged between 16 and 65.

It was put together using existing States data as well public surveys and focus groups.

P&R said the report would help it identify "potential areas for deeper investigation".

States of Guernsey senior economist Liz Laine said the report painted "a clearer picture" to understand why some people might not work "as much as they might like to" and what barriers they face.

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