Jobless figures fallacross the county

The number of people in East Sussex claiming Job Seekers Allowance has dropped to its lowest since records began in 1983.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Aug 2015, 14:51 BST

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Latest figures show the number of claimants has fallen by 27 per cent in just one year and now stands at 4,283 – this equates to 1.4 per cent of working age people in East Sussex.

“This is extremely positive news, particularly as driving economic growth is one of the council’s key priorities,” said Cllr Rupert Simmons, the county council’s lead member for economy.

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“We have a number of initiatives in place to help those wanting to get back to work. We also offer assistance to companies wanting to expand and create more jobs and hope these efforts will see the figure fall even further in future.

“We are working closely with local schools, colleges and universities and businesses to ensure young people receive the best training possible and can start a successful career in their home county,”

The East Sussex Invest 3 Fund was launched in July 2013 and closed this June with £4.2m having been provided for 128 businesses in grants and loans.

It resulted in the promise of more than 570 new jobs, 221 of which have already been created.

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In 2013, East Sussex Wheels 2 Work was launched. Funded by the county council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund programme, it offers the loan of a motorcycle, moped or electric cycle to help residents with their daily commute. As well as creating five jobs, the initiative has helped more than 164 people access work. Claimant numbers among young people have dropped by 30 percent since May 2014.

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