Unemployment in the Scottish Borders has fallen to a two year low and is now half the rate it was 4 years ago.
New official figures out today show that in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, the number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell from 1,010 in August 2017 to 925 last month.
This is close to the lowest figure ever recorded in the constituency in October 2015 of 885. It is also less than half the rate it was during its peak in February 2013.
The news has come as a surprise because the roll out of Universal Credit was expected to inflate these figures, because a wider category of people are now asked to be looking for work than was the case under Jobseeker’s Allowance.
The news has been welcomed by John Lamont, who says that more needs to be done to ensure that people’s pay goes further as inflation rises.
John Lamont MP said: “We’ve all become so used to the news that unemployment is falling, but it is worth reflecting on the fact that in the Borders, there are now fewer than half the number of people who claim benefits than there were just a few years ago.
“This is a remarkable turnaround.
“We were expecting the figures to rise because under the new Universal Credit system, which is being rolled out across the Borders, a wider category of people are expected to look for work.
“The strength of the UK economy is helping to create full time, permanent jobs which is giving more people across the Borders the chance for a reliable income.
"However, clearly more needs to be done to ensure that people’s wages go as far as possible. That is why I support policies like the UK Government’s energy price cap, the roll out of a UK living wage and tax cuts for those on the lowest incomes.”