Devizes MP Claire Perry has welcomed new unemployment figures showing that the number of people in the constituency claiming Job Seeker's Allowance fell by 6.2 per cent in the last month to 671 claimants. 

This represents a fall in the number of people claiming JSA in the last 12 months of over 32 per cent, and over 38 per cent since the May 2010 general election.

Mrs Perry said: “I am delighted that across the constituency, more jobs are being created and fewer people are claiming JSA.

"This is a clear indication that the government’s economic policies are paying dividends for us all and, therefore, more families have more financial security."

The figure of 671 JSA claimants in the Devizes constituency in May 2014 represents a rate of 1.3 of the economically active population aged 16 to 64.

Devizes is ranked 588th out of the 650 UK constituencies, the 650th having the lowest rate of unemployment and the first having the highest rate.

The number of claimants is 309 lower than in May 2013 and 417 lower than in May 2010.