Shropshire unemployment at five-year low
Unemployment in Shropshire fell to its lowest rate in almost five years last month, new figures showed today.
The steady decline in the number of claimants of jobseekers' allowance since February saw the number of people claiming the benefit in Shropshire Council's area hit 4,237 in July – just 2.2 per cent of the working age population.
That marks the lowest rate of claimants since December 2008, when two per cent of the population signed on.
Telford & Wrekin saw a similar decline, as 4,108 people or 3.8 per cent rate of the population signed on – the lowest rate since December 2010.
It came as unemployment across the country fell once again between April and June, down 4,000 to 2.51 million.
The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance nationwide fell to its lowest level for more than four years, and employment reached a record high, but long-term and youth unemployment have increased, the figures from the Office of National Statistics showed.
The national claimant count fell by 29,200 in July – the ninth consecutive monthly drop – to 1.4 million, the lowest since February 2009.
Other figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that average weekly earnings, including bonuses, increased by 2.1 per cent in the year to June, up by 0.3 per cent on the previous month.
It is the first time the rate has gone over two per cent since 2011, but ONS said it reflected unusually high bonus payments in April.
The number of people in work increased by 69,000 in the quarter to June to 29.78 million, the highest since records began in 1971.
The unemployment rate has remained at 7.8 per cent, as opposed to the seven per cent figure given by new Bank of England governor Mark Carney as a possible trigger for changes in interest rates.
