WORCESTER’S MP has welcomed figures which he says show that the city is bucking nationwide trends.

14.8 million people across the country are now employed in higher skilled roles, with the national employment figure standing at 76.1 per cent.

Robin Walker said he was “concerned” that Worcester’s jobless figure showed a slight increase in April, with 1,525 claimants compared to 1,430 in March.

Even after this increase, the local overall unemployment rate has fallen by 48 per cent since 2010, when joblessness stood at 2,545.

Mr Walker said: “I am pleased to see such strong national figures and to see Worcester continuing to outperform the national picture both in terms of wage growth and employment.

“The average hourly rate in Worcester was £14.13 at the end of last year having risen at an even faster rate.

“I am pleased that the National Living Wage is rising to £8.21 per hour which will be a substantial boost to the lower paid; this compares to £5.80 when we came to office.

“I am also pleased that Worcester continues to maintain consistently low unemployment rates, well below the national and regional averages.”

In response, Worcester’s Labour Party candidate Lynn Denham said: "Any increase in unemployment figures is a sign of economic problems and the difficult environment for businesses.

"Every job lost, is someone who will be worrying about how they pay their bills and having to face job hunting and the Universal Credit application system.

"The apparent increase in employment hides the large number of people who are trapped in low paid, insecure work that leaves them constantly struggling to pay household bills.

"The so-called National Living Wage is far from that."