Delivering job search services in rural labour markets: the role of ICT

Sutherland). Both areas have recently been affected by persistently high rates of
unemployment and long-term unemployment.¹ Within this general context, the Wick and
Sutherland TTWAs face specific challenges as a result of industrial restructuring and the
decline of traditional centres of employment. Wick is a small town struggling to cope with
the impact of the restructuring of traditional fishing-related industries, whilst the more
sparsely populated Sutherland TTWA, covering an extensive geographical area (5,865 square
km) has also been highly dependent on now declining primary sector employment. With the
disintegration of these traditional industries, tourism, financial services and public sector
employment now dominate the limited opportunities within Wick and Sutherland.

It should be noted that the services available to job seekers in these two ‘sub-areas’
differ markedly. The Wick TTWA is dominated by the town of Wick, which has its own
government Jobcentre facility. The much larger Sutherland TTWA hosts a number of
very remote settlements, but has no Jobcentre facilities. As a result, unlike their
counterparts in the Wick TTWA, many of Sutherland’s job seekers are excused from the
fortnightly routine of appearing in person at Jobcentre facilities to ‘sign on’ as actively
seeking work (instead contacting Jobcentre staff through a ‘freephone’ number to receive
information and confirm their availability for work).² The absence of formal services
provided by Jobcentres is likely to impact on the job search strategies deployed by
unemployed people, and may result in their readiness to adopt alternative methods,
ranging from the use of ICT to a reliance on informal, social networks.

¹ In November 2000, the unemployment rate for the Scottish Highlands (i.e. in the ‘Highland Council’
local authority area) was identical to that for Scotland as a whole at 5.0%. At the same time the Wick and
Sutherland TTWAs were experiencing much higher levels of general unemployment (at 7.0% and 10.6%
respectively). Furthermore, in Wick, 31.9% of all registered job seekers were ‘long-term unemployed’,
having not worked in over twelve months (29.5% in Sutherland). Source: NOMIS/UK Office for National
Statistics.

² This distinction is important. In most parts of the UK ‘signing on’ forms the basis for regular,
compulsory attendance at Jobcentres by claimants. Although often seen as an expression of the national
employment service’s ‘benefit policing’ role, the routine of regular meetings with Jobcentre staff also
provides unemployed people with an important focal point for job seeking activities and an opportunity to
access information and advice (Lindsay et al. 2001).

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