SWINDON’S MPs have welcomed the news that rates of unemployment in the town have plummeted.

New employment statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions for December 2016 place the number of people in Swindon claiming Job Seekers Allowance at a record low.

The stats show that Swindon’s claimant rate is down to 1.3 per cent, compared with a national rate of 2.8 per cent.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson described Swindon as “powering ahead” by having an unemployment rate and a JSA claimant count well below the national average.

Mr Tomlinson said: “By backing business, we are delivering strong growth which Swindon is directly benefitting from, with a staggering 8,100 new jobs created in Swindon since 2010. I welcome the news that average wages are up 2.7 per cent from last year. As the economy continues to grow, it is so important for people to feel reward from their work.”

The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the national rate of employment continues to run at a near-record high rate of 74.5 per cent, with 31.8 million people in work – an increase of over 2.7 million since 2010.

The latest figures also show that the number of claimants aged between 18 and 24 has also fallen in South Swindon. There were 185 claimants aged 18-24 in December 2016, 65 lower than December 2015.

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: “In South Swindon, the number of people claiming out of work benefits has fallen dramatically since the Conservatives came to power in 2010.

“We have seen increased growth, wages up, as well as the introduction of the national living wage. The number of people in work is also at an all-time high, which is great news.

‘’I have fought hard to maintain and grow a strong local economy that is supportive of businesses and creates jobs.”

Mr Buckland was also keen to stress just how much youth unemployment in Swindon has fallen.

More than 4,440 new apprenticeships have been started by people in South Swindon since 2010.

Mr Buckland added: “This means more young people earning and learning, getting the skills they need for a successful and secure future, as they do locally through great employers like Nationwide and Pebley Beach.

“It is vitally important that young people in Swindon have the opportunity to get into the workplace, giving them financial security and boosting the local economy to boot.

“The fact that we have seen such a large fall in unemployment in our town since 2010 is proof that we are on the right track.”

Nationally, the rise in employment continues to be driven by full-time work, which is up by two million since 2010.

However, the Bank of England and other economists have forecast that unemployment is set to rise amid uncertainty over the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, though experts disagree.