UNEMPLOYMENT is down in all areas of Gwent, new statistics show.

The number of people claiming Jobseekers' Allowance dropped from 7,975 in November 2006 to 7,210 in November 2007.

Blaenau Gwent currently has the highest unemployment rate in Wales, with 6.5 per cent of the economically active population (1,753 people) claiming Jobseekers' Allowance.

Although the number of people claiming fell from 1,759 in 2006 to 1,753 in 2007, Blaenau Gwent AM Trish Law accused the Assembly of doing too little to lift her constituency out of the "unemployment doldrums."

She has written to Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones to ask what is being done to encourage long-term, high-quality jobs to the area.

An Assembly spokesman said: "Despite these encouraging figures, we are working to address a range of historic problems through a package of measures - including support for new investment in job-creation, better education and skills training and improved transport links."

  • The number of people claiming allowance in Caerphilly fell from 1,627 in 2006 to 1,415 in 2007, in Monmouth from 688 to 574, in Newport East from 1,225 to 1,036, in Newport West from 1,381 to 1,212, and in Torfaen from 1,295 to 1,220.