The number of people in Oxfordshire out of work and claiming benefit fell for the third month in succession during May to 7,619, down from 7,686 the month before — which means that the proportion of the workforce on the dole remains at 1.8 per cent.
The figures from the Office of National Statistics show that all districts in the county saw a slight fall in claimant numbers except Cherwell where 1,707 people claimed Jobseekers Allowance, up from 1,660 in April.
Nationally there are 1,504,913, or 3.7 per cent, claiming the benefit — an increase of 2,758 on May last year.
In the public sector employment decreased by 24,000 in the first quarter of 2011, to 6.162 million.
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