New figures show 1,450 fewer people in Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance than 2010.
The latest figure of 1,867 claimants is a drop of 44 per cent compared to five years ago and means there are more people in work, with the self-respect and security of a good job and a regular pay packet.
People are getting off benefits and into work across the whole of the North East with 45,000 more people in work since the last election.
Nationwide, there are now a record 30.9 million people in work, with 1.85 million more people in work since the last election. The employment rate, at 73.2 per cent is also the highest on record.
These new jobs are not insecure or poorly paid. Three quarters of new jobs since the last election are full-time, and as the new figures also confirm pay is now rising above inflation - with total pay up 2.1 per cent on the year, well ahead of inflation, which was 0.9 per cent over the period.
Jobs are also being created in Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland by businesses like Tees Components of Skelton.
Will Goodhand, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland welcomed the latest figures.
‘This is clearly excellent news – and alongside the news that wages are rising faster than prices, but we need to keep working to ensure that the benefits are felt across our area,” Mr Goodhand said.
‘This is happening because we’ve been working through our plan, backing businesses with better infrastructure and lower jobs taxes to create more real jobs, and fixing welfare so that work always pays. This doesn’t happen by accident, look over the water at France and other countries in Europe who have not taken the measures which we in the country have, they are not fairing as well as us which shows that we are on the right track.
‘Voters in Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland will have a clear choice to make in May, in the most important election we’ve had in a generation. Either we stick with the current plan which is delivering jobs, so more people have the self-respect and peace of mind that comes with a regular pay packet. Or all that is put at risk by the economic chaos a vote for any one of the other parties would bring.”