East Ayrshire has recorded the highest percentage drop of benefits claimants in Scotland, new figures have revealed.
Data published from the Office for National Statistics compares the number of people claiming benefits at the same time last year.
In East Ayrshire the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance and Universal Credit fell by 0.5 per cent year-on-year, with 1,775 men in the area claiming benefits in February - 240 fewer than the same time in 2023.
The number of women claiming the two benefits in East Ayrshire fell by 135 to 1,075.
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The results are based on the 'claimant counts' measured in council areas across the UK on the second Thursday of February.
Figures relate to the number of people in the claimant count for unitary and local authorities in the United Kingdom on the second Thursday of the month of February 2024.
The drop in the number of male claimants was the fifth biggest of any council in Scotland, while the fall in the number of female claimants was the second largest.
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