�Less than a quarter of council staff live in Islington as thousands of people in the borough search for employment.

A total of 788 staff members live locally, which represents only 23 per cent of Islington Council’s workforce.

The figure relates to directly employed workers and not agency staff or contractors.

Currently around two thirds of adults aged between 16 and 64 in Islington have a job.

A committee, made up of Labour and Lib Dem councillors, discovered the statistic about its own council when investigating employment.

Lib Dem councillor Greg Foxsmith, who is one of the committee members, said: “Out of the contract employees more than 75 per cent live outside Islington.

“We were shocked and stunned to see this in a borough with high unemployment.

“With the number of residents who are currently unemployed this is not a position which is sustainable. Our priority must be local jobs for local people.”Rich and poor

‘Improbve advertising’

Jane Doolan, branch secretary of Islington Unison, said: “Islington Council should be doing everything it can to encourage people in the borough to apply for jobs within the council. I think the key thing would be improving how it advertises vacancies.”

The Fairness Commission was set up to investigate the gap between the rich and poor in Islington.

It is now recommending the council increases the number of local residents it employs to 30 per cent by 2014.

Councillor Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive member for planning, regeneration and transport, said: “We are publishing an employment plan for Islington in the next eight weeks which will respond to this committee and recommendations from the Fairness Commission.

“The level of employment in the borough is at a low level. It is a very urgent situation.”

More than 7,200 people in Islington claimed Jobseekers Allowance in May according to the Department for Work and Pensions.