THE number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Swindon has fallen once again, new figures reveal.

Employment figures from the Office of National Statistics out today showed that 2,041 people were claiming the benefit from mid-December to mid-January, compared with 2,265 the month before.

Julie Marshall, manager at Swindon Jobcentre, in Princes Street, said a number of factors had contributed to the drop.

“We normally expect a bit of an increase (in employment) due to Christmas, but there has not been as much as in previous years,” she said.

“This hopefully means that employers are keeping staff on and not relying on seasonal workers.”

She said there were signs the job market was improving further in Swindon.

“It’s now turning around to the point where staff are picking their employer and not the other way around,” she said.

“We do expect it to continue. There are lots of good signs, such as people becoming self-employed and a growing number of people starting their own businesses.”

The situation in Swindon was mirrored nationally, with unemployment falling below six per cent for the first time in six years.

The figures showed job vacancies rose by 127,000 to hit a 14-year record high, with about 700,000 job opportunities across the country, while the total number of people without a job has fallen by nearly one million since 2010.

Employment minister Esther McVey said: “With more people in work than ever before and a record number of vacancies in the economy, local businesses up and down the country are feeling more confident, taking on new staff and giving people the security of a regular wage. The South West has the lowest unemployment rate of any UK region.”