The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) has fallen by 18% in Caerphilly County Borough compared to last year.
Statistics for Caerphilly, Bargoed and Blackwood Jobcentres show there were 4,121 claimants between November 2014 and January this year – down by 920 on the same quarter last year.
Caerphilly Jobcentre’s Work Service Manager, Mick Furby, said the decrease is down to an improving job market, people wanting to find work and the support offered by Jobcentre workers.
The number of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming JSA fell by 21% to 1,200 and Mr Furby said the number of claimants receiving sanctions is also declining.
Sanctions – reductions or stoppages in benefits – can be given if people leave work voluntarily, miss appointments or do not “do enough to find work”. In Caerphilly County Borough, around 10% of jobseekers are sanctioned .
Mr Furby said: “We’ve got a strong computer base within the Jobcentres, so we find the public are coming straight in and doing job searches.
“There’s a lot going on in the local labour market, but it’s really quite accessible to go down to Cardiff to work.”
He said the Jobcentre can provide financial support for travel outside of the area and that sanctions are only used as a “last resort”.
The number of people returning to the Jobcentre after finding work is also falling, suggesting people are finding longer-term employment, Mr Furby said.
The unemployment rate in Wales fell by 13,000 to 92,000 over the quarter, bringing it to 6.2%.
This compares to the UK average of 5.7%. The number of people working in Wales is down 16,000 on last year.
From May 5, the UK Government’s new Universal Credit will be rolled out across Caerphilly, replacing JSA, housing benefit, income support, employment support and working tax credit.
Mr Furby said the changes would “make work pay and make the benefit system easier to access”.