Jobseeker Figures at 7-Year Low as Bedford Borough Jobs Growth Continues
New figures have confirmed that the dramatic fall in Jobseeker's Allowance claimant numbers in Bedford Borough is continuing, with the proportion of claimants at its lowest level for more than seven years. Two per cent of working age people are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, a fall of 50% in just over two years, and the lowest level since March 2008.
Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "Again, the significance of these figures lies in what they mean for local households, with the number of claimants halved since early 2013, a fall of over two thousand. Latest figures also show that the proportion of people in employment in the borough remains higher than both the regional and national average figure.'
"This is something we must work to maintain by developing the infrastructure businesses need to succeed, such as the final phase of the western bypass, and to keep encouraging inward investment."
Office for National Statistics figures confirm that Bedford Borough continues to drastically outperform both the eastern region and the country at large in terms of the proportion of people in employment. Following a rate of growth in recent years which has outstripped sharply the regional and national performance, latest figures show that 79.5% of working age people are in employment in Bedford Borough, against a regional figure of 76% and a Great Britain-wide figure of 72.7%.