POLITICIANS from right and left have welcomed the latest jobless figures showing York continuing to outperform the country and region.

The number of York residents claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) rose slightly last month to 1,212 from 1,169 in December, but this appears to be merely a seasonal adjustment and the figure is dramatically down from 2,183 in January last year.

In North Yorkshire, the number of JSA claimants was 4,186, up slightly from 4,031 in December but down from 6,804 in January last year.

In East Riding of Yorkshire, the number rose from 3,622 in December to 3,735 in January, but this was still down sharply on the 5,416 claimants in January last year.

The Ryedale District Council area saw a monthly increase from 325 to 337, which compares with 547 the previous January.

In Selby district, the number rose from 760 in December to 808 in January, which compares with 1,108 in January last year.

Employment Minister Esther McVey said: “Employment in Yorkshire and Humberside is at record high and the region has seen a record annual fall in unemployment – with 66,000 fewer unemployed people than this time last year.”

She said the unemployment rate nationally was now at its lowest point for more than six years and over the past year, the UK had seen better employment rate growth than the United States, Japan, Canada and France.

York’s Labour council leader Dafydd Williams said it was encouraging that the last year had seen a 44.5 per cent reduction in jobseekers claimants.

“York also continues to outperform regional and national figures, showing that the council’s work with partners across the city is paying off,” he said.

“Today’s results show however that we cannot rest on our laurels and we really need to ensure continued investment to support residents and strive for jobs and growth.”

Tory group leader Chris Steward said: ‘It is great to see the Government’s action on the economy bringing unemployment down and increasing employment in our region.

“ Although Labour originally claimed unemployment would rise as we dealt with their debt legacy, the reality has actually been the opposite. Good employment remains the best route out of poverty, or to help people to really better themselves.”