Unemployment rises in Devon

The number of Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA) claimants in Devon increased by 273 claimants, or 6.8% between December 2014 and January 2015.

Although this increase is in line with the national trend, as a proportion of the working age population, Devon, at 0.9%, remains far lower than the UK at 2.1%.

The figure for January 2015 is also 39.5% lower than January last year when the claimant count stood as high as 7,060 claimants.

In all of Devon’s districts, with the exception of North Devon, there were increases of around 6.4% over the past month. North Devon is the only district to experience a drop in claimants of 1.6%. However, once again, when comparing such increases to the proportion of the working age population, JSA claimant levels in all districts remain well below the UK average of 2.1%.

Youth unemployment for Devon (the number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA) also increased in line with the national trend by 5.2%. At a district level, North Devon showed a significant 12.5% drop in claimants aged 24 and under. However, all other districts experienced increases of around 8.5% – the largest increase being in West Devon which experienced a 37.5% increase.

Despite such increases in youth unemployment, the January figure for Devon is still 45% lower than the same time last year. However, youth unemployment, as a proportion of the working age population in Devon and its districts is still comparatively high - Devon being 1.5% higher than the UK average figure of 22.3% for January.

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, said: “The increase in the numbers of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance is to be expected at this time of year given the seasonal nature of our economy here in Devon. However, we should not be complacent and our continued investments in projects that support high value jobs will help to create year round opportunities. Through our Rural Growth Network, for example, we are investing in a range of workspace for business, from work hubs to innovation centres and the business support that goes with it.”

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