UNEMPLOYMENT in York has increased by five percent in the last year, new figures have shown.

The figures released by the Office of National Statistics showed there were 1,937 people over the age of 24 and 305 18 to 24-year-olds claiming jobseekers allowance in the year until February 2019.

This represents an increase of nine per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

However, unemployment has fallen compared with statistics five years ago.

There has been an 45 per cent decrease in the amount of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants and Universal Credit claimants Searching for work since 2014.

Employment in the city is also lower than the national average for young people, with 79 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds in work, compared to 75 per cent across the country.

A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: “The claimant count naturally fluctuates over time but it’s important to note that we expect to see higher numbers in the claimant count as the statistics now factor in Universal Credit. People who were previously not included now fall under it. Some areas often see a one-off rise or fall in Claimant Count which is due to monthly variation and seasonal patterns in the labour market.”