UNEMPLOYMENT in the Vale of Glamorgan has fallen by six per cent since last year.

The figures released by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on Wednesday (October 19).

Currently, the Vale claimant count stands at 1445 which is down by 100 from this time in 2015.

The rate has fallen by 49 per cent since 2010.

Youth unemployment has fallen by 390 which is four per cent since last year and by 605 people since 2010 which is 61 per cent.

Darren Gibbon, a work coach manager at the DWP said that the picture was looking "particularly healthy" in the Vale and Cardiff area.

He said: "There are around 3000 vacancies in Cardiff and the Vale with plenty in the hospitality and retail sectors.

"Our major priority is to upscale our customers to meet the needs of employers in industries where there is demand.

"Our programmes are very important to help them get closer to the market."

A recent jobs fair in Barry saw 15 employers and hundreds of people attend what was described as a "successful event."

Mr Gibbon also wished to highlight that Christmas seasonal employment is well underway with companies such as Toys 'r' Us looking to recruit.

Wales wide, 38,000 more people are in work compared to this time last year meaning 1,459,000 now have employment which is 73.5 per cent.

The claimant count in Wales now stands at 43,300 which is down by 2,100 from this point last year.

Commenting on the figures, first minister Carwyn Jones said: "“The decline in unemployment in Wales has outperformed the rest of the UK for the seventh consecutive month.

"Unemployment in Wales now stands at 4.3%, that is 0.7 percentage points lower than the UK average and a fall of 1.7 percentage points over the past 12 months. "Economic inactivity and claimant count in Wales have also decreased over the year."

"We have big ambitions for Wales and its economy and will continue to work hard to support business and ensure the economic conditions to create and safeguard sustainable jobs and training in Wales."