Unemployment has fallen in Hartlepool

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell from 2,845 in March to 2,750 last month, according to the latest numbers released by the Office for National Statistics today.

The number of men seeking employment fell from 1,985 to 1,900 and the number of women from 855 to 800.

Ken Gardner, a spokesman for Job Centre Plus in Hartlepool, said: "There has been a slight change in the claimant figures in the town last month. We are doing a lot to help."

He said a number of companies were looking for workers recently, which may have resulted in the drop and he had a meeting today with another firm interested in taking on staff.

The number of unemployed people in the Sedgefield constituency fell from 1,200 in March to 1,195 in April.

In Easington the number fell from 1,615 to 1,610 and in Stockton North from 2,365 to 2,295.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Stephen Crabb, said: “These are another record-breaking set of figures, with more people in work than ever before and the unemployment rate is at the lowest in a decade at 5.1%.

“There’s good news in the North East where the number of people in work has remained near a record high with employment at 1.2 million.

“More people in work means that more families across the UK are benefiting from the security of a regular wage and the fulfilment that employment brings.”