THE number of people claiming unemployment benefits in York has fallen by 115 since the same time last year.

Figures released yesterday also showed a drop of 70 claimants in Selby over the same period, while a rise of ten in Ryedale may be due to changes involving the introduction of Universal Credit.

In York the number of young people out of work continued to fall, with a drop of 35, or 18 per cent, among people aged 18 to 24, compared with a general reduction of 12 per cent. The 18 to 24 jobless total in York has fallen by 82 per cent compared with 2010.

Sara Farrar, of the Department for Work and Pensions in York, Selby and Ryedale, said: “I think the figures speak for themselves. It’s so positive for York.

“We are continuing to work with those people who are out of work to support them back into work.”

In the UK as a whole the employment rate is at a new record high of 74.4 per cent, with 31.7 million people now in work and about 750,000 vacancies at any one time.

The female employment rate is at 69.6 per cent, the highest since records began in 1971.

Ms Farrar said retail recruitment remained strong in York, with Primark recruiting online for its new Coppergate store at primark.com/en/careers/come-join-us while Asda at Monks Cross is recruiting for home delivery drivers, with an open day on August 9 at the store. The hospitality sector also continued to be strong.

Careers in care were often rewarding but misunderstood, and she recommended anyone unsure about the opportunities to complete the self-assessment aquestionofcare.org.uk/ and also to look at the Skills for Care toolkit at skillsforcare.org.uk/Careers-in-care/Careers-in-care.aspx

She said Jobcentre Plus offered tailored support to help people with health conditions and disabilities back into the labour market.

Ms Farrar said as Universal Credit expanded in Ryedale to include all claimant types, ones who would once have been classed as inactive - such as lone mothers with babies - were now included in the count, so she did not think a rise of ten claimants there was worrying.