Shropshire unemployment levels rise again
The number of people out of work in Shropshire has risen again, official figures revealed today.
The county's jobs market delivered its third consecutive monthly rise in March, with the number of people claiming various forms of unemployment benefit in Shropshire hitting 2,020 last month, up from 1,950 in February.
Telford also saw another increase, with 1,935 people signing on, compared with 1,830 the month before.
The latest figures mean that unemployment is now higher than it was a year ago in both areas.
The local figures come despite the national unemployment tally falling to its lowest level in a decade, with a record number of job vacancies up for grabs.
The jobless total was cut by 45,000 in the quarter to February to 1.56 million, a reduction of 141,000 since a year ago and the lowest since the end of 2006.
Vacancies were up by 16,000 to a record 767,000, with strong growth in accommodation and food services sectors.
Average earnings increased by 2.3 per cent in the year to February, unchanged from the previous month, reported the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Senior ONS statistician David Freeman said: "A joint record employment rate and a new record high for the number of vacancies point to continued strength in the labour market.
"However, higher inflation, coupled with subdued earnings increases, means that the real growth rate in pay has tailed off to just above zero."
