YORK and North Yorkshire have seen further falls in unemployment.

The number of people claiming Jobs Seekers Allowance (JSA) in the City of York Council area fell to 2,122 last month, down by 108 on February and by 931 since last March.

The claimant count represents 1.6 per cent of the working population and contrasts to a regional average of 3.8 per cent and a national average of 2.9 per cent.

York council leader James Alexander said the reduction was 'very good news,' saying it had been predicted that the first few months of the year would see a slight increase in claimants.

In North Yorkshire, the number of claimants fell by 548 to 6,246 or 1.7 per cent of those eligible, while in East Riding of Yorkshire, the number fell by 354 to 4,851, or 2.4 per cent.

Numbers fell by 41 to 504, or 1.6 per cent, in Ryedale, and by 41 in Selby to 1,123, or 2.1 per cent.