A KEY measure of the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Barnsley has shown an increase for the second month in a row following more than four years without a rise, latest monthly figures show.

Overall 3,550 Barnsley people claimed claimed job seekers' allowance or universal credit in June. Despite this being a slight drop of 15 on the month before, it was a rise of three per cent since the same month a year ago.

However it is 53 per cent lower than it was five years ago, and youth unemployment - those aged 18 to 24 - has fallen even further. It is down five per cent on the same period last year, and down 70 per cent compared to five years ago.

Nigel Coleman, from Jobcentre Plus, said it was not alarming to see minor increases given that Barnsley was now nearing full employment and changes in the benefit system would see the monthly figures start to clear up as more people are moved onto Universal Credit. "You will start to see increases in the claimant count in Barnsley, and the reason for that is it now includes people on low income who are in work but on Universal Credit, and people who have not traditionally been counted in that figure," he said.

"Barnsley is still the most buoyant area in South Yorkshire. Some of that is because it was hit the hardest when the crash came, but Barnsley is, particularly in regards to youth employment, still the best performer in South Yorkshire."

He said there was still a wide variety of job vacancies in the town, with several large firms carrying out significant recruitment in the area through the job centre, including Wilkinson, Poundland, Outfit and Frankie and Benny's.