UNEMPLOYMENT in Bolton is up slightly compared to the same time last year.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there are 5,865 people out of work, with 1,280 more men unemployed than women.

This is seven per cent up on the number of people unemployed in February last year but is 33 per cent down compared to five years ago.

Job Centre Plus staff in Bolton are working with Next and HomeSense, both of which are due to open stores in Middlebrook Retail Park this year.

Penny Applegate, the Job Centre Plus partnership manager, said: "We're working very closely with them to fill vacancies.

"At Next they are transferring some staff from other stores but they are still saying they are not sure on exact numbers."

Nationally the employment rate is at 75.3 per cent, up from 74.6 per cent last year. There are 402,000 more people in employment.

The unemployment rate nationally is 4.3 per cent but the North West is fairing slightly better than average with an unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent.