THE number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in Wirral has fallen again as new figures show employment nationally is at a record high.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics out today show 6,098 people claimed the benefit in April - a drop of 254 on the previous month's 6,352.

Nationally, more than 30.4 million people are now in work - the highest since records began in 1971.

Unemployment has fallen by 133,000 to 2.2 million, the lowest for five years.

Wirral West MP and Minister for Employment, Esther McVey said: "As the recovery takes hold, more people are able to get a job or set up their own business and become the employers of tomorrow.

"Each and every person who has made a new start or hired someone new is helping to make Britain a more prosperous and confident place to be.

"We will continue to support those in and out of work who want to get on and fulfil their ambitions for a more secure future."

Wirral South MP Alison McGovern said: “We all want to see signs of recovery in our economy as it has been a tough last four years for many people.

“Today's statistics do show a fall in unemployment which on the surface seems encouraging however I sense that most people are not feeling an economic recovery.

"We also still have big problems to tackle with regards to getting young people into work and with underemployment.

"We have seen how prevalent zero hour contracts have become which is something I have been concerned about for a long while and I welcomed Ed Miliband’s pledge to tackle abuse of these contracts should Labour be in government in 2015 as part of Labour’s wider plan to tackle the cost of living crisis.

"Labour would also introduce a jobs guarantee to tackle youth unemployment."