Number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance in Devon falls for third consecutive month

Devon County Council have announced that the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Devon has fallen for the third consecutive month in line with the usual trend seen at this time of the year.

The claimant count across the county was down by 512 from 8,849 in April to 8,337 in May.

Even though the Devon figures reflect the national trend, the month-on-month decrease of 5.8% has occurred at a faster rate in Devon compared to the UK (2.8%).

The claimant count in Devon stands at 1.8% of the working age population, which remains below the national figure of 3.7%.

Year on year the number of people claiming JSA in Devon has fallen by 1,430 claimants or 14.6%, which is reducing at a faster rate than the national average of 6% over the year.

Youth unemployment in Devon has also gone down, from 2,480 in April to 2,295 in May which is also in line with the national picture. The number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA in Devon accounts for 27.6% of total claimants in the county which is slightly higher than nationally (26.1%).

Youth unemployment in Devon has reduced by 675 claimants, which is 22.7% lower than in May 2012 when it stood at 2,970 and over the course of the year it is also falling at a faster rate in Devon than the UK average of 14.5%.

Devon County Cabinet member with responsibility for Economy and Employment Andrew Leadbetter, said; “We had already anticipated a fall in JSA claimants in May, reflecting an increase of seasonal job opportunities and the latest figures confirm that our expectations were correct. Devon’s labour market is certainly faring better than this time last year giving some cause for optimism in terms of economic recovery. The claimant count rate at half the national average highlights the relative resilience of Devon’s economy. Youth unemployment continues to fall across the county which is particularly encouraging and a trend which we hope will continue.