Number of job seekers in Devon continues to fall

The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Devon is continuing to fall, with figures dropping by 204 over the past month alone.

According to new figures released today, the number of people  claiming in Devon have fallen from 6,717 in September to 6,513 in October meaning that figures have now decreased over the past eight consecutive months.

Year on year, the number of people claiming JSA in Devon has fallen by 2,262 claimants or 29.2%, a bigger decrease than the national figure of 18% over the year.

The number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA is also down - by 100 claimants - falling from 1,830 in September to 1,730 in October. This represents a 5.5% monthly decrease, compared to the UK average of 6.1%.

In October 2012, youth unemployment in the county stood at 2,730 compared to 1,730 in October 2013, which is a 36.6% reduction (or 1000 claimants) over the year and a bigger reduction than the UK average of 23.9%.

Youth unemployment in Devon accounts for 26.6% of the total JSA claimants compared to 26.3% for the UK as a whole.

Claimant count in Devon at 1.4% of the working age population remains less than half the national figure of 3.1%

The news comes the same day that deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has announced that he wil be releasing governemnt money to some of the UK's major cities to help get more young people into work.

Mr Clegg said: "Helping young people succeed is crucial to our economic recovery. That is why I am pleased to announce this cash for cities to invest in getting more young people into jobs.

"Investment like this, paired with a determination to tackle youth unemployment by our great cities, has the genuine power to change the fortunes of young people across the region, whether it’s with extra training, improving education or apprenticeships."