Worksop: Figures reveal drop in number of JSA claimants

The figures were released by the Department for Worksop and Pensions this week

The figures, which were released this week, show that the number of JSA claimants has dropped in the town by more than a quarter since March last year, with 326 fewer claimants.

Retford has also seen a 20 per cent fall in JSA claimants, meaning both towns have beaten the East Midlands claimant drop of 17 per cent and the national drop of 11 per cent.

Jared Wells, Nottinghamshire employment relations lead at the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “This sharp drop is fantastic news for the Worksop and Retford areas and residents should be proud that both towns have beaten the national average drop.

“The economy is a lot more robust with improved job stability, which we believe has contributed to a drop in residents claiming JSA and Universal Credit.

“It seems that businesses are now more likely to retain workers after taking them on temporarily over Christmas which has definitely helped things along.

“We have also seen a drop in young people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance, a 37 per cent drop in Worksop and a 30 per cent drop in Retford.

“With more young people entering apprenticeship schemes, we hope that the number of claimants will continue to fall.”

Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, said: “Taking into account the usual seasonal spike in unemployment and JSA claimants as temporary contracts come to an end and start to filter through into the job market, these figures are once again positive and further demonstrate just how robust the region is when it comes to creating jobs and driving the economy.

“The figures demonstrate that while our labour market remains flexible and vibrant, it’s not immune to shock, so it’s vital that business policy continues to provide the right support and environment to facilitate job creation.

“However, there are some uncertainties on the horizon in terms of changes to apprenticeships funding, the introduction of a new National Living Wage and the continued rollout of auto-enrolment, all of which add huge up-front costs to employers,” added Mr Knowles.