THE number of people claiming benefits for unemployment in Bolton continues to fall as new opportunities at Logistics North are on the horizon.

The total number of claimants in the borough has fallen by two per cent since last year reaching 5,456 in October. One fifth of this total are aged 18 to 24 years old.

Bolton's Jobcentre Plus partnership manager Penny Applegate said that companies like Stateside Foods and Amazon have been a big driver for employment in the borough.

She said: “There isn’t a shortage of jobs. What we need to do is to make sure that people have the right skills and abilities to apply successfully for those jobs.”

The Jobcentre supported applicants who are currently undergoing pre-employment training as warehouse and production operatives at Stateside Foods with the guarantee of an interview at the end of the programme.

In addition, 60 vacancies were filled at the Amazon distribution centre in Logistics North by an agency.

Ms Applegate also said that new opportunities are expected to be created as new companies move into the industrial estate in Over Hulton.

She said: “We have employers coming to us all the time. There’s lots of jobs that just come up very quickly. I know that there are other employers that are moving in to Logistics North and there will be other opportunities.”

While the claimant count fell by 104 last month, next month it is expected to rise as Bolton becomes a full-service Universal Credit area.

This means that anyone claiming Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Income support, Working and Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit will be counted.

As the new benefit system allows people to claim while working, the claimant count will no longer be used as a measurement of unemployment.

Ms Applegate said that there has not been an "avalanche" of claimants for Universal Credit since it was rolled out on November 7, but more people are expected to sign up to the new scheme in the coming months.

She said: “Universal Credit offers tailored support, which includes more personalised help from a work coach. The new system is also more flexible, which means people can take on short-term work to develop their skills and build up their experience.

"Our staff are trained to support people throughout the claim process. We’d encourage anyone who needs extra help or information to come and talk to the jobcentre.”