UNEMPLOYMENT across Bolton is continuing to fall, new figures have revealed.

Statistics released by the Department of Work and Pensions show that the number of Bolton residents claiming out-of-work benefits in the month of May this year is 20 per cent lower than the figure for the same period last year.

The DWP said that the drop — from 6,604 claimants last year to 5,267 this year — is perhaps more impressive as this is the first month in which claimants of the government’s new Universal Credit payment have been taken into account in the figures.

Universal Credit aims to merge six existing benefits including income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, income support, child tax credit, working tax credit and housing benefit and is paid via a single monthly payment.

The scheme opened to single residents in Bolton last year and was rolled out to couples and families earlier this year.

Ian Mitchell, a district employer and partnership manager for the Job Centre in the North West, said: “These figures are very positive on both a national scale and locally in Bolton.

“The 20 per cent drop is similar to the national rate and it is good because this is the first time we have been able to add in Universal Credit Claimants to the figures."

Newly elected Conservative MP for Bolton West, Chris Green, believes the falling unemployment rate is evidence of why people were correct to vote for his party in May’s election.

He said: “This is the best demonstration of our recovering economy and I think that was the basis of the election result that we had last month — people saw the stability and security that the Conservatives were offering.”

David Crausby, Labour MP for Bolton North East said he believes the government’s 'seven-year recovery' is taking too long.

He said: “It is not just about the number of jobs — there are still far too many low-paid jobs and I think we need to raise the minimum wage and continue to promote the living wage.

“We should be having a go at the employers who provide those low-wages and not the workers themselves and I think this government has got that the wrong way round.”