There are ten fewer people claiming out-of-work benefits in the Cotswolds, bringing unemployment figure down to 320

This three per cent reduction took the total down to 320 people.

Di Haines, manager at Cirencester’s Jobcentre Plus, commented: “Although it is a small reduction, it is still 59 per cent less than at the end of the recession in 2010.”

Looking at unemployment in the Cotswolds in relation to the population, approximately 0.6 of people in the district claimed jobseekers or other out-of-work benefits in July.

The Cotswolds is doing better in terms of unemployment than the rest of the country, as the proportion of out-of-work claimants was lower than that of Great Britain, which stood at 1.8 per cent of the population.

There were more male claimants than female, with 200 men and 120 women. On the flip side, less women are estimated to be in employment in the Cotswolds than men.

Model-based data suggest that only 21,200 women (72.4 per cent of their economically active population) had jobs between April 2015 and March 2016.

For men, the figure was 22,600 (86.9 per cent of their economically active population).

Ms Haines commented: “Some women might not work because they might be retired, caring for somebody or raising family. They might choose not to work, so they are not unemployed.”

(The proportion of men and women in employment in the Cotswolds between April 2015 and March 2016)

She added: “We’re reaching nationally record levels of females in employment and in the Cotswolds, there are considerably higher levels of females in self employment.

“It points out the buoyancy of the Cotswolds as a good place to do business. It is where females are particularly attracted to being self employed rather than an employee in an existing business.”

17.8 per cent of women in employment are self employed in the Cotswolds. In Great Britain, the figure was only 6.6 per cent.

Looking at age, it is young people, if anyone, who suffer most from unemployment.

The highest percentage of out-of-work claimants in July came from those aged 18 to 24, with 70 claimants (1.2 per cent of the age group’s population).

Most of these (45 people) were of the age of school or university leavers at 18 to 21 years old.

In Great Britain, the trend with young people aged 18 to 24 was similar but with a higher proportion in unemployment (2.7 per cent).

In the Cotswolds, the age group with proportionately least claimants were those over the age of 50. Only 0.5 percent of the age group (95 people) claimed benefits.

For those aged 25 to 49, only 0.7 per cent of population (155 people) claimed benefits.

Ms Haines commented on the unemployment of young people: “It’s such low numbers anyway. At age 18 to 24, that’s the age when people are looking to catch work.

“You’ll catch school leavers and graduates returning to seek work in their local area. They might try one job and it doesn’t suit them. They might have barriers to employment.

“Locally in Cirencester, we’re working with employers to support their recruitment. For example Premier Inn and Beefeater are opening in Cirencester, and we work to provide training.

“That’s been very successful with more than half of people who trained with us being offered jobs.

“There are still a lot of vacancies across the Cotswolds. We still have a buoyant labour market.”