Unemployment down again in Devon and Exeter

The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Devon has fallen for the fifth consecutive month, meaning claimant numbers are at the lowest they have been since November 2008.

The claimant count across the county was down by 244 from 7,741 in June to 7,497 in July.

Even though the Devon figures reflect the national trend, the month on month decrease of 3.2% has occurred at a faster rate in Devon compared to the UK (1.5%).

The claimant count in Devon stands at 1.6% of the working age population, which remains below the national figure of 3.5%.

Year on year the number of people claiming JSA in Devon has fallen by 1,774 claimants or 19.1%, which is reducing at a faster rate than the national average of 9.8%.

Youth unemployment in Devon has gone down very slightly by just five claimants, from 2,065 in June to 2,060 in July and by ten claimants in Exeter, from 475 to 465. The number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA in Devon accounts for 27.5% of total claimants in the county which is slightly higher than nationally (26.6%) and higher still is Exeter at . However, youth unemployment in Devon is 25.4% lower (or 700 claimants) than a year ago.

Over the past year, youth unemployment has fallen at a faster rate in Devon than the UK average and faster still in Exeter (25.4% in Devon and 27.3% in Exeter compared to 17% across the UK).

Devon County Cabinet member with responsibility for Economy and Employment Andrew Leadbetter, said; "It's good news that the number of claimants in Devon has fallen again to the lowest July figure in four years. We hope that this trend will continue in the coming months. The rate of JSA claimants at over half the national average shows the relative strength of Devon’s labour market. Levels of youth unemployment have remained stable month on month which is encouraging given that full-time education placements are coming to an end, however as a proportion of the total claimant count youth unemployment has risen between June and July from 26.8% to 27.5%, so it is important that we continue to monitor this to ensure we are providing the necessary support for young people across the county."