By Richard Johnstone | 21 October 2013
The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has fallen in every local authority in Britain over the last 12 months, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.
For the first time since the end of 1997, Jobseeker’s Allowance claims fell in every British council area when the September 2013 figures were compared to the same month in 2012, the DWP said.
The largest year-on-year decrease was 5,145 in Birmingham, while there were 3,485 fewer claimants in Glasgow. More than 2,000 people also stopped claiming JSA over the year in County Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Derby, Manchester, Kingston upon Hull and Cornwall, according to the figures.
The figures have been published by the DWP ahead of the full unemployment statistical release from the Office for National Statistics due on November 13.
They also show that the number of people who claimed unemployment benefit in September fell by 40,000 from the previous month, to just over 1.3 million. This was also the biggest monthly drop recorded since 1997.
Employment minister Esther McVey highlighted there had been a total fall of 450,000 in the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits since early 2010.
She said: ‘The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance is down in every local authority over the past year. Off the back of a global recession, this is not something that should be sniffed at. It’s a huge testament to the tenacity and determination of business owners and workers in this country.
‘Add to this the fact that the last month saw falls in both long-term and youth unemployment – and the fact that there are now a million more people in jobs compared to when this government took office and we can see that this government is making good on our commitment to helping people get off benefits and into work.’
