Unemployment benefit claims fall in city for first time in year

THE number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Stoke-on-Trent has dropped for the first time in almost a year.

Latest figures show 8,981 people claimed Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in May, down from 9,428 the month before.

It's the first time the claimant count in the city has dropped since June last year.

And the trend was reflected in every borough across the region.

In Newcastle, there were 3,007 people claiming JSA in May, down from 3,317 in April.

The Staffordshire Moorlands saw its claimant count fall from 1,706 to 1,600, while in Congleton there were 1,637 claimants last month, down slightly from 1,695.

In Crewe and Nantwich, the number of people claiming JSA fell from 2,697 in April to 2,627 in May.