Unemployment figures in Doncaster halved since 2010

Across the town, a total of 5,355 people claimed Job Seekers’ Allowance or Universal Credit in January.

The figure is a 15 per cent fall on the number of people receiving benefits in January 2015 – when 6,280 people were claiming.

Since 2010, the number of job seekers across the borough has halved, the figures also reveal.

Youth unemployment fell by 22 per cent year-on-year. Last month, 1,205 young people aged between 18 and 24 were claiming benefits, compared with 1,550 in 2015.

Figures show in the last six years there has been a 66 per cent drop in youth unemployment.

Nigel Coleman, employer account manager at Sheffield’s Cavendish Court Job Centre, said he was pleased that the figures had continued to improve.

“It’s really encouraging news,” he said.

“I’ve been watching the figures get better and better, it’s phenomenal. We are definitely seeing an upsurge with employment. We know there can be a slump from time to time, but on the whole it’s a positive picture and a lot of people are finding work, often before they need to claim Job Seekers’ Allowance or Univeral Credit, which is really good news.”

He said job seekers should contact the Job Centre to find out about opportunites, including 50 jobs which will be available at the new Next Furniture factory in Armthorpe, starting in August, and apprenticeships at rail companies Intertrain and Trackworks.

Don Valley MP Caroline Flint said:“The employment figures reflect important changes such as the increase in the school leaving age from 16 to 18. The figures also point to the success of young people gaining work experience leading to full time work.

“There is a big challenge to grow the volume and range of skilled jobs in our economy, something which I hope the FARRRS link road and the iPort will contribute to.”

She added that, according to figures from the House of Commons Library, figures have also halved since 2013 – when 10,660 people were claiming benefits.

Ed Miliband also welcomed the figures.

Unemployment has fallen across the region. There was an 11 per cent fall in the number of people claiming benefits in Sheffield in January 2016 compared with January 2015.