THE number of Inverclyde people looking for work has fallen by six per cent year-on-year.

Latest figures reveal that the claimant count is 80 smaller than the previous year at 1,210.

There is also good news for young job seekers – the number of them looking for work is down by 25 to 235 – which represents a 10 per cent fall on last year.

Eileen McLafferty, employer and partner manager for Inverclyde, said: “Inverclyde continues to look positive.

“We are liaising with employers at Port Glasgow Retail Park and working with national teams at Next, M&S and Boots.

“In our experience so far, we know local people have been employed in the retail park. Not all of them were already unemployed, but this has created opportunities elsewhere.”

The latest stats mean that the local youth unemployment rate has now halved over the last six years.

Almost 300 fewer 18-24-year-olds are out of work – a drop of 56 per cent.

The six year figure for all claimants has also fallen, by 777 or 39 per cent.
Inverclyde is in keeping with a near record rise in the number of people in work in Scotland, with unemployment down by 1,200 in the last year.

Eileen says various local initiatives are helping to get young people into posts, such as Morton community trust’s Positive Goals programme for lone parents, Inverclyde Community Development Trust’s social and customer care courses, The Street League outreach initiative and driver training opportunities.

The Office for National Statistics says UK employment continues to run at a near-record high rate of 74.5 per cent, with 31.8 million people in work.