Region’s jobless down to 200,000

Feb 14 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

UNEMPLOYMENT fell in the North West last month by 4,000 to 200,000 in January, as part of a national decline of 61,000 to 1.61m.

This figure, which includes people not eligible for benefit, is the lowest for almost two years.

The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in the region fell by 800 to 105,200 in January, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

St Helens had the lowest number of claimants in the Liverpool City Region as a proportion of the working age population, of 3%. Liverpool and Knowsley had the two highest rates in the North West, of 4.2% and 5.2% respectively.

Nationally, the number of claimants was down for the 16th consecutive month, falling 10,800 to 794,600, the lowest total since the summer of 1975.

Employment Minister Stephen Timms said: “These figures show we continue to have a strong and stable labour market with both record numbers in employment and the lowest claimant count for 32 years.”

Employment increased by 175,000 in the three months to December to 29.4m, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1971.