Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has welcomed new figures showing that unemployment in his Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency has reached a record low.
According to figures from the Office of National Statistics. the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance and out-of-work Universal Credit fell from 500 in May to 474 last month – the first time there have been fewer than 500 people registered unemployed in the constituency. The unemployment rate fell too from one per cent last month to 0.9 per cent – the first time it has dropped below one per cent.
Over the last five years the number of unemployed in the constituency has fallen by two-thirds.
Mr Jones commented:
Clearly, unemployment falling is good news for the individuals who have got a job and also for their families. The figures show that jobs are being created locally and that people are applying for and getting those jobs.
While I congratulate those people newly in work, we must do all we can to help every person without a job and every family without a breadwinner. I have met the staff at Harrogate Job Centre and I know they work hard to get each and every claimant into work. These record figures demonstrate that success and are a reward for their efforts too.
The unemployment rate in Harrogate and Knaresborough of 0.9 per cent again compared favourably with the regional rate of 3.5 per cent although this too has seen consistent falls. In the last five years official figures show that 126,386 new jobs have been created in the region.
