Published at 10:31, Wednesday, 23 January 2013

UNEMPLOYMENT in Cumbria fell in December for the fifth month running.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 8,438 people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, 93 fewer than in November and 385 fewer than in December 2011.

The county’s unemployment rate fell from 2.8 per cent to 2.7. Allerdale saw the steepest fall. Its jobless total tumbled by 61 to 1,901 giving an unemployment rate of 3.2 per cent.

The same applied in Copeland where the total fell by 13 to 1,500 (3.3 per cent).

Eden’s claimant count fell by 22 to 378 (1.2 per cent) and Barrow’s by 56 to 1,761 (4.0 per cent).

But Carlisle and South Lakeland bucked the downward trend.

Carlisle’s jobless count climbed by 15 to 2,068 (3.0 per cent) and South Lakeland’s by 44 to 830 (1.3 per cent).

Nationally, the seasonally-adjusted claimant count fell by 12,100 to 1.56m.

And the quarterly rolling total, which includes those not eligible for Jobseeker’s Allowance, fell 37,000 to 2.49m.

Average earnings increased by 1.5 per cent in the year to November.

Published by http://www.in-cumbria.com