Unemployment figures down in Doncaster

Unemployment fell again in Doncaster last month, according to official figures.
Nigel Coleman, of Job Centre Plus.  Picture: Andrew RoeNigel Coleman, of Job Centre Plus.  Picture: Andrew Roe
Nigel Coleman, of Job Centre Plus. Picture: Andrew Roe

In Doncaster, a total of 4,950 people claimed Job Seekers’ Allowance or Universal Credit in December 2015.

The figure is a 15 per cent fall on the number of people receiving benefits in December 2014 – when 5,850 people were claiming.

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Since 2010, there has been a 41 per cent reduction in job seekers, the figures reveal.

Youth unemployment also fell by 23 per cent over the same period. In December last year, 1,095 young people aged between 18 and 24 were claiming benefits, compared with 1,425 in 2014.

Figures show in the last five years there has been a 57 per cent drop in youth unemployment.

Nigel Coleman, employer account manager at Sheffield’s Cavendish Court Job Centre, praised the figures, and said he is set to work closely with employers in a bid to help unemployment drop even further.

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He said: “These figures are very positive – they are very encouraging.

“I’m going to be working with the prisons as there are 70 vacancies for prison officers across all prisons.

“There is going to be a new Next Furniture factory in Armthorpe, there were going to be 150 jobs there over the next 12 months. The Wetherspoon pub at Robin Hood Airport are hiring 20 staff.

“I would advise people to check with big retailers to see if there are any roles available and also speak to the Job Centre about work experience as between 50 and 60 per cent of people gain employment after doing some work experience.!

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Unemployment has also fallen across the rest of the region. There were similar drops in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham.

There was a 12 per cent fall in the number of people claiming benefits in Sheffield in December 2015 compared with December 2014. In Barnsley, there was a 10 per cent fall and in Rotherham 19 per cent.

Nationally, the employment rate has risen to a new record high of 74 per cent.

Unemployment figures are down across the country, with figures falling to pre-recession levels.

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Government Employment Minister Priti Patel said: “This is a record-breaking set of figures – and has got 2016 off to a fantastic start.

“In Yorkshire and Humber the number of people in work has risen 23,000 over the past quarter, bringing employment to a near-record high.”