Unemployment figures published this week show jobless numbers in the Bicester area are falling. The latest data, released by the Office for National Statistics, shows the number of workers claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance fell by 75 in the Banbury constituency, which includes Bicester and the surrounding area.
There are 800 people looking for work in the area which represents 1.3 per cent of the workforce, placing the constituency in the top 30 of 650 in the UK.
There are only 27 constituencies which are performing better in terms of unemployment figures.
Sir Tony Baldry, MP for Bicester, said: “It is good news that month on month the unemployment figures locally are steadily coming down and I would hope that with an upturn in construction projects locally, particularly housing projects now taking off all across the district – and with planning permission now having been granted for the Banbury Gateway retail park project – that the unemployment figures will continue to fall further.”
Mr Baldry also pointed out unemployment levels were 329 less than this time last year. Nationally unemployment registered at 2.39million in the three months leading up to October, a reduction of 99,000 for May to July.
Unemployment is 7.4 per cent – its lowest level since February to April 2009.