THE number of Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants in Devon has fallen to a record low again in October, in line with the national trend.

Total claimants now stand at 4,118, or 0.9% of the working age population, representing a fall of 105 claimants from September.

At a district level, overall JSA claimant numbers fell across the county with the exception of East Devon, which experienced a very small increase between September and October.

The number of people aged 24 and under claiming JSA increased within Devon by 1% – the largest increases being in Mid and North Devon, although falls were seen in the South Hams and Teignbridge.

This should, however, also be viewed alongside a significant decrease – 42.2% or 730 claimants – in youth claimants since October 2013 – far greater than the UK average fall of 35.8% between October 2013 and 2014, showing that some progress in tackling this issue appears to be being made.