Cautious cheer as unemployment falls

The number of people claiming out of work benefits in Rochdale has fallen slightly, with 59 people no longer seeking help last month.

The jobless figures in Rochdale rocketed by more than 13% in February, and a further 1.7% surge between March and April left the highest figure for well over 10 years, but the slight fall is another indicator that the worst of the recession may be over.

The overall total went down by 59 last month to 7,223, representing 5.7% of the working population.

However, despite the fall, Rochdale still has the highest percentage of people out of work in the whole of Greater Manchester.

Samantha Dunbar, Policy Manager for Employment and Skills at Greater Manchester Chamber, said: ”Although a rise in those claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance was expected, given we are still in the thick of recession, it is positive to see that firms are doing their utmost to hold on to their current workforce. Results from our last Quarterly Economic Survey suggest that there are more firms retaining staff than those planning redundancies, which is excellent news.

“However it is important not to get complacent. Indicators suggest we are in a W-shaped recession: while things may have levelled off or may even be slightly on the up, there may be more difficulties to come and we would urge businesses to be optimistic but vigilant.”