NEWLY re-elected Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has welcomed a further fall in the number of people in the constituency receiving Jobseekers Allowance.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of people relying on out of work benefits has fallen.

The total number of Jobseekers Allowance claimants in the Ludlow constituency in April 2015 was 432, down 230 since April 2014.

This is also down from 1,054 at the last General Election in May 2010.

The number of 16 to 24-year-olds claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in the Ludlow constituency has also fallen by 35% in the last year, and is now 62% lower than at the 2010 General Election.

Nationally, unemployment has fallen to 5.5% down from 6.8% last year. Pay has risen by 1.9% compared to a year ago, which is above the rate of inflation.

“These latest figures for the last month preceding the General Election show that over the course of the last five years, our Conservative long term economic plan has made a significant improvement to local job prospects in south Shropshire,” said Mr Dunne.

“Thanks to the hard work of small and medium sized businesses to expand and create jobs here in Shropshire, and a government that backs business, more people in South Shropshire now have the security that comes from receiving a regular pay-packet.”