Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown the number of York residents claiming Job Seekers Allowance has again fallen. The number of claimants in York has fallen by 51.3 percent in the last year. There are now 941 claimants in York, a fall of 107 from last month and of 1,931 from April 2014.

The claimant count represents 0.7 percent of the working population and contrasts to the regional average which stands at 2.6 percent. The figures are also much lower than the national average which stands at 1.9 percent.

The figures also showed that the number of young people claiming Job Seekers Allowance has fallen by 60.8 percent in the last year. In April 2014 the total number of claimants aged 18-24 stood at 370 and has reduced by 225 in the past twelve months to 145.

Figures have also been released today by the Department for Work and Pensions showing that the number of residents claiming benefits has also fallen. The statistics show the number of claimants in York as of November 2014 is 9,840, a fall of 160 since August 2014.

The claimant count represents 7.3 per cent of the working population in York, which is lower compared to both the regional average (13.9 per cent) and the national average (12.5 per cent).