Jobless total drops below 2,500

JOBLESSNESS continued to fall last month as the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance fell by 175, reducing the overall borough figure from 2,628 in November to 2,453 in December.

The number of unemployed men fell from 1,583 to 1,455, women from 1,045 to 998.

Oldham Job Centre manager Samantha Durr said: “The figures show another fall in the number of people claiming JSA which is really good for the borough. There has been a real drop in female claimants which is great news.”