Unemployment in Devon lowest on record

The number of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants in Devon has fallen to a record low again in October, in line with the national trend. Total claimants now stand at 4,118, or 0.9% of the working age population, representing a further fall of 105 claimants from September.

At a district level, overall JSA claimant numbers fell across the County with the exception of East Devon, which experienced a very small increase between September and October. The JSA claimant count rate in South Hams stands at just 0.6% of the working age population. The rate in Torridge stands at 1.5%, but is still below the national figure of 2.2%.

Regarding youth unemployment, the number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA - increased slightly within Devon by 1%; the largest increases being within Mid and North Devon, although falls were seen in the South Hams and Teignbridge. This should, however, also be viewed alongside  a significant decrease (42.2% or 730 claimants) in youth claimants since October 2013 - far greater than the UK average fall of 35.8% between October 2013 and 2014, showing that some progress in tackling this issue appears to be being made.

Cllr Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for Economy and Growth said;  "The latest JSA figures are yet again a good sign that steady progress is being made in driving Devon’s economy forward and increasing employment opportunities. Nonetheless the recent small increase in younger claimants in parts of the County highlights the need for continued partnership working on initiatives such as our Mentoring and Youth Deal wage progression pilot, which aim to tackle youth unemployment in our county. Devon County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership are working together across the county to drive forward enterprise led growth. The Micro Enterprise Scheme, in particular, is currently creating new and innovative employment opportunities in businesses in rural parts of the County."

For a more information on Devon’s economy, and to find the latest JSA figures listed in full, visit: http://www.devonomics.info/