THE number of people unemployed in Gwent have seen "dramatic" reductions since last year, figures show.

The official data from the Office of National Statistics shows that unemployment rates in the UK have dropped to 5 per cent, its lowest since October 2005.

Between February and April, the unemployment total fell 1.67 million, a reduction of 20,000 on the last quarter.

The number of employed people across Wales has risen by 42,000 in the last year, with 1.44 million currently in jobs.

Sharon Bailey, work service manager at Cwmbran job centre, said there has been a reduction of 1,045 benefits claimants between the ages of 18 to 24 in Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

In Newport and Caerphilly, there were double-figure percentage decreases on last year as 515 and 360 less people claimed benefits respectively.

Elsewhere, there were 125 less people claiming in Torfaen and 45 less in Monmouthshire.

In Cwmbran, only 22 per cent of people on the Universal Credit (UC) claimant register have been unemployed during their claim.

Mrs Bailey said: "These are fantastic results for all local authorities, with our 18/24 claimant count dramatically reducing across the board.

"The good news is that it shows that people are finding work and staying in work."

According to Mrs Bailey, youth unemployment has decreased at rates of 59 per cent in Newport and 50 per cent in Torfaen since 2010.

Job opportunities have increase significantly in recent months, with Cardiff-based firms such as HMRC and Opus Energy looking to employ hundreds of workers.

In Gwent, a new DW Sports store is opening in Cwmbran and are actively recruiting for sales assistants while a new facility in Torfaen called Frog Bikes are also looking for staff.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Stephen Crabb, said: “Secure employment and a decent wage are key to transforming the life chances of people right the way across the country, so I’m delighted to see another strong set of figures this month.

"There’s good news in Wales, where the number of people in work has risen by 42,000 in the last year, with 1.44 million people in employment.

“There are more people in work than ever before and wages are continuing their upward climb."