Unemployment drops across Northamptonshire

The official figures show the number of claimants on April 9 was 7,568 or 1.7 per cent of the population of the county.

That means JSA claims have dropped by 3,609 people since April 2014, and compared to the previous month there were 224 fewer claimants.

The Government’s new Employment Minister Priti Patel said: “Our long-term economic plan is creating a better, more prosperous future for Britain, with employment at an all-time high and more women in work than ever before. Behind the statistics are countless stories of individual hard work and determination – of people feeling more financially secure with a regular wage.

“I want to continue to ensure our welfare reforms are giving people the skills and opportunities to move into work to give everyone in our country the chance to make the most of their lives.”

Nationally unemployment has dropped to 5.5 per cent, and there are more than half a million more people in work compared with a year ago. Long-term unemployment has also seen the largest annual fall in 17 years.

This week the Government announced it would be bringing in new measures to get a further 2 million rise in employment, and helping people with childcare.

The measures include making young people take part in training or work placements as part of new, tougher Day One Work Requirements; increasing free childcare for three to four year olds from 15 to 30 hours; cutting the tax on childcare fees by 20 per cent; and reducing the cap on the amount people can claim in benefits to £23,000 a year.