Melton sees slight rise in people out of work

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed there were 295 JSA claimants in the Melton local authority area in December 2015 compared to 285 in December 2014.

Out of 29 East Midlands local authority areas Melton was one of just six which saw an increase in JSA claimants.

The claimant count for the whole of Leicestershire fell from 3,935 in December 2014 to 3,305 in December 2015.

The East Midlands figure fell from 37,220 to 29,375.

Scott Knowles, chief executive of the East Midlands Chamber, said: “Another set of positive employment figures for December shows that throughout 2015 the East Midlands was at the front of the pack when it came to creating jobs. However, while the strength of the labour market remains an important driver of economic growth, and the economy is continuing to expand, there are challenges ahead which could impact employment prospects in 2016.”