West Berks unemployment rates are third highest

The latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that in March 2013, the number of unemployed residents had risen to 4,200, 7.8 per cent of the district’s population, from 3,900 last March.
Slough and Reading were the only authorities to have higher rates of unemployment, at 5,800 (8.2 per cent), and 5,700 (6.5 per cent) respectively, while Wokingham was top of the charts with 3,400 (3.7 per cent) and Windsor and Maidenhead with the same figure, but at 4.2 per cent of its population.
Bracknell Forest had 3,500 (5.2 per cent) listed as unemployed.
However, the figures show that the number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance has fallen in the district, from 1,815 claimants in March 2012 to 1, 743 in March 2013.
By June 2013, the number of people claiming had further decreased to 1,494 - the third lowest in Berkshire - with Wokingham at 1,149 and Bracknell Forest at 1,419.
The highest in the county in June was Slough, with 3,138 claimants.