THE number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in Mid Devon and across the county has fallen.

New figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions show that between February and March 2016, the number of claimants fell by 206, a 5.5 per cent decrease.

The drop is more than double the fall for the rest of the United Kingdom, which was 2.2 per cent.

In total, 3,718 people in Devon were claiming JSA at the end of March, with all of Devon’s districts seeing falls in the number of people collecting the benefit.

The number of claimants aged 24 and under also fell overall, with a drop of 55 younger claimants across Devon between February and March 2016.

All Devon’s districts, with the exception of Exeter and East Devon, saw falls in claimants aged 24 and under.

Devon County Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for economy and growth, said the figures showed promising signs, and that steps taken by the county council were working.

Cllr Leadbetter said: “Once again we see significant falls in Devon’s JSA claimants across all districts, even in areas with historically high claimant rates, such as Torridge.

“The fall in claimants aged 24 and under is great to see, although we recognise that more needs to be done to improve employment prospects for all Devon’s residents.

“We continue to work closely with local businesses and educational institutions focusing on schemes which aim to boost productivity and upskill our workforce.”

Cllr Leadbetter said that the council would continue to work closely with local organisations to try and reduce the number further.

He added: “Our Enterprise in Schools grant is doing great work, encouraging greater collaboration between business and education – nurturing entrepreneurial spirit within our schools.

“In addition, Connecting Devon and Somerset, along with our recently launched broadband voucher scheme, is delivering faster, more reliable connectivity to some of our worst served residents and businesses, helping to boost productivity and our rural economy.”