Benefit claimants drop across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin - full details here
The number of people claiming Universal Credit dropped last month in both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
According to the latest data published by the Department for Work and Pensions, there were 4,435 people in Shropshire claiming Universal Credit in December, including 895 18 to 24 year olds and 1,120 over 50s.
Year on year, this represented a three per cent increase among young people but a 12 per cent drop among the 50+ demographic while overall it was a drop of eight per cent, or 390 people, compared with December 2024.
In Telford & Wrekin, there were 4,550 people claiming the benefit, including 1,065 aged 18 to 24 and 905 over 50s.
This represented a seven per cent increase among young people and a one per cent rise among the over 50s while overall it was a decrease of one per cent or 55 people compared to the same month in 2024.
Across the wider region, rates of unemployment in the West Midlands have dipped slightly as national wage growth has fallen back again, according to the latest figures.
Monthly job stats for the region published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also show a slight increase in the rate of employment and a drop in inactivity.
For the three months from September to November 2025, 73.7 per cent of 16 to 64 year olds in the West Midlands were in work, an increase of 0.5 per cent on the three months from June to August.The percentage of people aged 16 or over who were unemployed was 5.9 per cent, down 0.3 per cent over the same period.
The inactivity rate among 16 to 64 year olds was 21.5 per cent, a drop of 0.3 per cent over the same quarterly period.
There were a total of 2.953 million people in employment across the West Midlands - up 2,000 on the quarter and up 23,000 on the year, while 184,000 were unemployed, down 11,000 on the quarter and up 42,000 on the year.
Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions Secretary and MP for Wolverhampton South East, said: "Today's figures show there are 513,000 more people in work compared to this time last year but also highlights why we must go further, especially for our young people.
"That's why we are investing £1.5 billion to get hundreds of thousands of young people earning or learning while former Health Secretary Alan Milburn is leading a review to help us get to the root of what is holding the younger generation back.
"Through our Jobs Guarantee launching this month, we are helping young people find paid work placements and we urge employers to come forward."
