THE number of people out of work in the Maldon district has continued to fall as coronavirus restrictions ease.

The jobless figure fell by more than 100 between April and May.

Office for National Statistics figures show 1,675 people in the area were claiming out-of-work benefits as of mid-May – down 135 from 1,810 in April.

It means 4.4 per cent of Maldon's working-age population were on unemployment benefits – down from 4.8 per cent the previous month and down 355 on the same time 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 92,600 month on month to 2.5 million in May.

That period covers the reopening of outdoor hospitality and non-essential retail for the first time since December.

The ONS said the number of payrolled employees jumped by almost 200,000 in May – a record monthly rise – but remains more than half a million below pre-pandemic levels.