THE MP for Central Devon has welcomed figures that show the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit in his constituency has fallen by 16% in the last year.

The claimant count in the constituency is now 375.

Mel Stride MP said: ‘These latest job figures are very good news. Average wages have increased three per cent more than inflation over the past year leaving those in work better off and the number of people out of work just keeps falling. Especially welcome is another drop in youth unemployment which has fallen to its lowest level in a decade.’

The employment rate is the highest in UK history with 73.6% of people aged 16-64 in work.