Year-on-year benefits claims in Moray for February fall by a fifth
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BENEFITS claims in Moray year-on-year for the month of February have fallen by over a fifth.
Newly-released figures from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) show that across all age groups claims fell by 385 to 1400, a drop of 22 per cent.
In the 18-24 age range, there was a nine per cent fall down to 260 from 285 in February 2022.
The largest decrease, however, was to be found among those in the 50+ bracket where a drop of 140 – 28 per cent – saw this February;s claim figures stand at 355.
The figures include those claiming in-work benefits and those seeking employment.
Jane Munro, DWP Employer and Partnership Manager, said: “Across our jobcentres, work coaches provide every jobseeker with tailored support, helping to build confidence and develop new skills.
"The focus as we move into spring being to reach out to everyone looking to re-join the jobs market, no matter whether they’re single parents, young people, 50+ or have a health condition.
“Increasing the labour force is key activity in order to help businesses fill their vacancies. Locally we continue to work with Moray Council, Johnston's of Elgin and more recently Tivoli. To support this we are holding regular jobs fairs and work academies. Meanwhile jobseekers can find their ideal job by searching our DWP FindaJob website, which has thousands of jobs on offer.
"We recently held a Marketplace event in Keith which provided direct access to employers for local vacancies and partner organisations for added support. These events are beneficial to anyone looking to progress towards employment. The next Marketplace is in Forres Town Hall on Friday, March 24, 9.30am-12pm.
“Follow Moray Pathways on Facebook to keep up to date with local events."
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “Today’s figures reflect that, although we still face significant challenges, Scotland’s labour market remains resilient.
"We have record numbers of people on the payroll and unemployment remains around historic lows.
“There is more to do to stabilise our economy and...the Chancellor [has] set out the next steps in our plan to grow the UK economy, halve inflation and to cut debt. These...include measures to boost opportunity across the country, including expected support for Edinburgh’s festival economy, which contributes more than £300 million a year to the UK.”
Minister for Employment Guy Opperman MP added: “We’ve promised to grow the economy in order to create more well-paid jobs, and we want everyone to have the same opportunity for a fulfilling work life.
"That’s why we’re focused on tackling inactivity, and it is encouraging to see even more people moving into jobs or taking steps to search for work.
“We are always looking at new ways to support people, including changes we’ve made to Universal Credit such as cutting the taper rate, increasing work allowances and bringing hundreds of thousands more claimants into closer contact with work coaches to boost their long-term prospects."
