THE amount of people claiming benefits in South Worcestershire has risen.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that 1150 people were claiming benefits in Worcester in May, a rise of 140 from this time last year.

The number of people between 18 and 24 claiming universal credit rose from 225 to 235 this year.

A spokesman for Worcester Job Centre said that the move to universal credit has seen more claimants, with six separate benefits rolled into one.

B and M and KFC are currently working with Worcester Job Centre to provide more jobs in the area, whilst contracts were up for grabs from Premier Inn and Ernest Jones.

The job centre is also set to hold talks about whether HS2 developments in the West Midlands could help city residents into work.

It was a similar story in Malvern, where the number of people claiming benefits has risen by 120 to 550. The 18 to 24 count also went up from 115 to 135.

In Wychavon, benefit claimants went up to 810, an increase of 130 since May 2017. The 18 to 24 count went up from 130 to 155.

A meeting is being held on Friday June 22 between the job centre and Waitrose to see how many jobs will be available at the new Evesham store, set to open later this year.

Local figures contrasted to national totals, where the number of people in work has reached a joint record high.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that 32.39 million people were in work – up by 440,000 on 2017.

Estimates from the Labour Force Survey show that between November 2017 to January 2018 and February to April 2018 showed that the number of people in work increased whilst the number of unemployed people decreased.

The employment rate – the number of people aged between 16 and 64 in work – was 75.6 per cent – the joint highest since records began in 1971.

There were 1.42 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 38,000 fewer than for November 2017 to January 2018 and 115,000 fewer than for a year earlier

Figures also showed that 8.65 million 16 to 64-year-olds were ‘economically inactive.'