Figures published yesterday show there are now 16,002 people in the district claiming job seekers allowance (JSA) – down from 16,305 the previous month.

A breakdown of the Office for National Statistics figures show 10,550 people had been claiming the benefit for less than six months, with 1,980 having claimed for more than a year.

Nationally numbers claiming JSA fell by 32,900 to 1.54 million – a much sharper fall than expected. However, unemployment across the country rose to 2.5 million during the three months to February, up 43,000 on the previous count. Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said: These figures show just how vital it is to keep up support for jobs and the economy this year until the recovery is secure.

“Many people are still having a hard time as a result of the recession. February was a tough month and overall unemployment rose. But March figures for the claimant count show a drop – the fourth drop in five months.

“But the figures make clear we’re not out of the woods yet. It would be disastrous for families and for jobs to cut back on public spending and support for the economy right now as the Tories have promised. It’s also essential to keep increasing the help for the unemployed this year – not abolish 200,000 jobs as the Tories want.”

Ministers had predicted some increases in unemployment in the run up to summer before further falls in the second half of the year.

Miss Cooper said unless job support continues unemployment would keep rising long after the recession ends, as experienced in the 1980s.

Tory Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May said the figures proved Government welfare policies were not working. She said: “Unemployment is now at the highest level for 16 years.

“This is grim news for tens of thousands of families up and down the country. But we also see the number of people in a job has fallen and long-term unemployment has gone up so I think this is a clear sign the Government’s policies aren’t working.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said that only his party had answers to secure economic recovery.

He said: “Labour’s record speaks for itself as unemployment is now higher than when they came into office. It underlines just how fragile the UK economy is and exposes the folly of Tory plans to pull the rug from under the recovery.”

The ONS figures also reveal there are 1,653 jobs being advertised on JCP boards across Bradford.