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%
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