Small drop in jobless total

UNEMPLOYMENT in Oldham fell by 32 last month — after a blip in August when the number of jobless rose after five successive monthly falls.

Official figures show there are 6,627 people out of work in the borough, 4.8 per cent of the working population.

This total is made up of 4,821 jobless men, down by 38, but the number of women out of work rose by six to 1,806.

Nationally, unemployment has fallen by 20,000, but the number of people out of work for longer than a year has risen to its highest total in 13 years. The numbers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased by 5,300 in September to 1.47 million, the second consecutive monthly rise, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Total unemployment, including those not eligible for benefit, fell to 2.45 million in the three months to August, the lowest so far this year.

This was almost entirely due to 16 and 17–year–olds finding work, training or education.

Female unemployment increased by 36,000 over the latest quarter to just over a million, while the number of vacancies across the economy was 30,000 down in the three months to September to 459,000, the biggest quarterly reduction since the start of 2009.

The number of people out of work for over a year was 821,000 in the quarter to August, up by 27,000 from the previous three months, reaching the highest total since early 1997.

Jobless 18 to 24–year–olds increased by 35,000 to 742,000, the highest for a year.

Meanwhile, the number of people in work increased by 178,000 to 29.16 million, the best figure for a year.

Employment is up by 241,000 on the year but is still 270,000 lower than before the start of the recession.