Employment figures rise in East Midlands
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce said the latest employment figures were “much better than expected” . Nationally, the number of unemployed people fell by 8,000 to 2.47m in the three months to July.
George Cowcher, chief executive of the chamber, said: “These figures are again much better than expected given the cuts to public spending that have already been announced. The rises and falls are minimal and would suggest that claimant numbers have levelled out somewhat.”
In the East Midlands, the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) fell in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. In Nottinghamshire, the number of claimants fell to 14,514, down from 14,543. In Derbyshire, the 15,035 people claiming JSA in July dropped to 15,008 by August.
Cowcher said: “We are still seeing plenty of economic activity in the private sector, with companies still recruiting against a backdrop of public sector cutbacks, although there is also some evidence that the effects of the cuts announced earlier this year may be starting to bite.
“With another raft of public expenditure cuts set to be announced as part of October’s spending review, we must proceed with caution.”
