UNEMPLOYMENT across Bolton is continuing to fall, the Government has announced.

New data shows there are now 3,830 people claiming out-of-work benefits including Universal Credit in Bolton – equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the borough’s population.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show nearly 3,000 people have come off unemployment benefits since April last year, when claimants numbered 6,810.

It is also a drop of around five per cent since this March, when there were 4,015 claimants in Bolton.

Julie Wills partnership manager at Job Centre Plus in Bolton, said employment levels should continue to rise as more opportunities come to the borough.

She added: “Claimant numbers are falling because we have more employment opportunities coming to the area. There is currently a lot of inward investment.

“We are seeing growth in Bolton in a range of sectors from care to manufacturing – and Logistics North should provide scores of opportunities in the next 12 months.

“The Job Centre Plus works very closely with claimants, employers and providers – such as by providing pre-employment training for people who want to move into a different sector.

“After our recent jobs fair, we are continuing consultation to match the success of the day with how many people actually got into work as a result of it.”

The latest claimant figures combine Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Universal Credit, which was rolled out in Bolton last year.

Universal Credit figures cannot yet be further analysed but a break-down of the most recent JSA figures suggest almost two thirds (2,412) of Bolton’s claimants last month were men.

A total of 635 claimants were aged 18 to 24 – a reduction of more than 50 per cent since last year, when that figure was 1,660. Of these, 295 had been claiming JSA for more than six months.

Yesterday the Government announced UK-wide employment was at an all time high of 73.5 per cent, and praised the “remarkable success” of its welfare reforms.

Across the North West employment is currently at 71.8 per cent, which is lower than the UK average but is an increase of 0.9 per cent since the last quarter.

Employment Minister Priti Patel, said: “Our long-term economic plan is creating a better, more prosperous future for Britain, with employment at an all-time high and more women in work than ever before.”