Staffordshire’s unemployment claimant figure has been 1% or less since March last year, latest statistics have confirmed.
The county has consistently been well below national and regional figures. July’s statistics show Staffordshire with a figure of 0.9% the same as the previous month. Staffordshire currently has the lowest figure of any of the West Midlands strategic council areas. The national figure stands at 1.7% and regional at 2.3%. The last time the figure was above 1% in Staffordshire was in February 2015 (1.1%).
In July, 4,960 people claimed unemployment benefits which include Universal Credit and Job Seekers Allowance. This compares with 12,165 in July 2013, which was 2.3% of the county population.
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Staffordshire County Council’s economic growth leader Mark Winnington, pictured above, said: “We have had near full employment in Staffordshire for many months which speaks volumes about the county’s economic strength and its position as a place that generates opportunities. We must now continue to ensure better paid and better skilled jobs are being created. We are focusing our support on increasing the right type of skills for Staffordshire people which employers need. A skilled workforce attracts and retains business. We’re also involved in major business development projects which mean significant additional investment. This summer we have seen progression of development at sites like Meaford near Stone, Liberty Park in Lichfield, Redhill in Stafford, Kingswood Lakeside in Cannock and at Keele Science and Innovation Park. These sites will create yet more jobs for Staffordshire people in months and years to come.” [/box]
