HUNDREDS fewer residents in Tendring were claiming unemployment benefits in October than the month before, figures show.

Office for National Statistics data shows 4,425 people in Tendring were claiming out-of-work benefits as of October 14, down from 4,645 in September.

It means 5.6 per cent of the area’s working-age population sought support in October – down from 5.9 per cent the previous month.

And it was also 1,635 fewer than the number of claimants recorded in October last year.

The figures include those aged 16 to 64 on Jobseeker’s Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, who are unemployed and seeking work or employed but with low earnings.

National figures, which are adjusted to account for seasonal changes, show the number of people seeking help across the UK fell by 82,000 month-on-month to 2 million in October.

The ONS said the number of payrolled workers was “well above” pre-pandemic levels, rising by 160,000 between September and October to 29.3 million.

The unemployment rate also fell to 4.3 per cent between July and September, down from 4.5 per cent between June and August.