The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Sussex has fallen for the second month running.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics show there were 26,909 claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in the region in April, compared with 27,299 the previous month.

The 1.4% decrease follows a fall of 0.69% in March and bucks the national trend, which saw the claimant count increase by 12,400 to 1.47 million, the largest increase in 16 months.

Economists were expecting a fall of between 4,000 and 10,000.

But UK unemployment – recorded over a three-month period and based on other measurements beside claimant counts – fell by 36,000 to 2.46 million, the second quarterly drop in a row.

The number of jobless 16- to 24- year-olds decreased by 30,000 and the number of people in employment increased.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling welcomed the figures, saying: “It’s good news to see that unemployment is also going in the right direction and pleasing that unemployment has fallen for young people.”

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: “We welcome any glimmer of good news but the figures are a sign we are not out of the woods by a long stretch.

“A host of respected business organisations are warning that choppy waters are ahead, and this is why we are saying the Tory-led Government needs to do far more to get Britain back to work.”

Economists warned that unemployment is likely to rise over the coming months, despite the improvement seen in the latest figures, as the Government’s austerity measures bite.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, has forecast unemployment to increase to 2.67 million by the end of this year.

Local Authority March April

Adur

1013

987

Arun

2401

2291

Brighton and Hove

6192

6075

Chichester

1422

1432

Crawley

2338

2351

Eastbourne

2078

2063

Hastings

3109

3149

Horsham

1519

1523

Lewes

1397

1400

Mid Sussex

1224

1136

Rother

1432

1380

Wealden

1278

1233

Worthing

1896

1889

Total

27299

26,909 -0.6%