Jobless total falls below 4,000

Date published: 17 July 2014


UNEMPLOYMENT in Oldham has fallen for the fifth successive month.

The latest Office of National Statistics figures show that there are currently 3,896 people — 2.8 per cent of the working population — out of work.

The figure is down 333 from last month and down 3,591 from the same time last year, bringing the total to the lowest rate since December, 2007.

Tricia Hallows, a Jobcentre Plus manager for Greater Manchester, said: “The latest figures are a good news story for Oldham.

“Lots of jobs are coming on across the board and we are seeing more jobs being advertised in recent weeks.”

Experience

She added that big employers, such as Shop Direct, have also started to work closely with the jobcentre to increase work opportunities in the area.

In Oldham there were 2,365 men out of work in May, a fall of 218, and 1,531 women were registered unemployed, down 115.

Nationally, unemployment fell by 121,000 in the quarter to May, to 2.12 million.

The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance fell by 36,300 in June to 1.04 million, the 20th consecutive monthly fall and the lowest total since 2008.
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