STROUD MP Neil Carmichael has praised figures which show a drop in year-on-year unemployment in the Stroud constituency.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that, in February, the number of unemployed Jobseekers Allowance claimants in the Stroud constituency dropped by 327 from the same point in 2013.

The news follows figures released in January which showed that manufacturing had grown by 0.9 per cent in the final quarter last year. Almost one in four jobs in the Stroud constituency is in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Mr Carmichael said: “The Government’s long-term economic plan is working, and with unemployment down and manufacturing up, there is plenty to celebrate in the Valleys and Vale.

“Maintaining our focus on equipping young people with the skills to fill opportunities in engineering and manufacturing is essential, through initiatives like the Stroud Festival of Manufacturing and Engineering.”