Horsham unemployment falls for five months in a row

Horsham’s total unemployment stands at 1,079, after 267 resident jobseekers stopped signing on over the last six months, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The district has seen its rate of unemployment fall consecutively for five months, from 1.7 per cent in February to 1.3 per cent last month.

Its unemployment rate remains the third lowest in West Sussex, following Mid Sussex at 0.9 per cent and Wealden at 1.1 per cent.

Hastings remains the authority with the highest rate at 4.8 per cent, which has dropped a full one per cent over the same period.

There have been falling rates of unemployment across all of the county’s districts.

Apart from a blip between January and February, the levels have been falling consistently across all West Sussex local authorities.

More than 5,000 fewer people in the county have been claiming JSA over the last six months.

The region’s unemployment fell by over 600 claimants in the last month.

Wendy Bell, general manager at Sussex Enterprise, the county’s Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the figures and said the nation’s falling unemployment statistics will help bolster hope in an economic recovery.

She said: “The continuing reduction in unemployment figures continues the trend we’ve seen over the last six months and helps to underpin hopes for further economic recovery, all national reports from sector based organisations seem to confirm that the general trend is positive.

“The national picture is more concerning with Youth and Long Term unemployment rising, however with the unemployment rate of 7.8 per cent we are still a long way from the seven per cent benchmark suggested by the new governor of the Bank of England at which the MPC may consider increasing interest rates, thus providing continued business confidence about the future.

“The private sector is demonstrating that it is determined and able to create jobs and we look forward to continued success in Sussex .”