Devons Unemployment Figures Down For Seventh Month
26th October, 2010
Unemployment in Devon is still decreasing according to the latest economic information from Devon County Council. The figures have dropped for the seventh consecutive month.
Devon’s unemployment figures have decreased from last month’s 8,208, with the number of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants now standing at to 8,188. When compared with the same period in 2009, there are 1,893 less people claiming, a drop of 18.8%.
Nationally, the JSA claimant count has fallen by 1.1% between August and September 2010 and by 0.5% in the South West. Devon follows this downward trend but at a lower rate than that seen regionally or nationally.
Although the decrease is smaller, 0.2% compared with last month’s 0.7%, this is still good news for Devon when taking into account fluctuations linked to seasonal employment.
Amid the uncertainty ahead of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) due on 20th October, Devon is hoping for continued investment in critical infrastructure.
Much needed improvements to Junction 29 of the M5 are critical to East of Exeter development. Additionally, the South Devon Link Road will open up access to Torbay.
Broadband is widely regarded as the next utility and enhanced coverage across the county is essential to keep Devon economically competitive.
Councillor William Mumford, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Strategic Planning, said: “Although the decrease in claimant figures is small this month, it is welcome news as it shows that the unemployment trend is still downward. With small businesses making such a significant contribution to Devon’s economy, it also highlights the importance of offering effective business support to create jobs.
"The need for good broadband connectivity is an essential business tool in helping to develop and grow sustainable businesses around the county and we need to ensure that they are not disadvantaged by the support package unveiled in Cornwall.
"The development of the knowledge based sector underpins our strategy for the proposed developments to the east of Exeter and we will continue to lobby hard for the necessary improvements at Junction 29 that will help unlock the full potential for business expansion here."
More detailed analysis of Devon’s economic performance and district summaries are available at the Devonomics website, www.devonomics.info.
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