UNEMPLOYMENT has risen in Bournemouth for the third month in a row.

Poole saw the number of claimants rise for the second consecutive month, while East Dorset, West Dorset and Weymouth and Portland also saw their figures rise.

The Department for Work and Pensions has stressed that unemployment has dropped drastically since 2010 and says the outlook is still positive.

David McArthur, Dorset and New Forest account manager for the Department for Work and Pensions, said long-term unemployment was still down.

“I think because we were so good in Dorset, Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding areas, the figures may not look as good but they’re still very positive,” he said.

“We do also have to take into account the level of redundancies. The figures would be much more positive if we didn’t have a couple of relatively large-scale redundancies.”

Ninety-two people are to see their jobs go at Turner’s Fine Foods at Christchurch, while BHS is set to shed around 45 people in Poole and 31 at Bournemouth’s Mallard Road Retial Park.

Bournemouth had 1,785 people unemployed and claiming benefits in June, up 160, or 10 per cent, year-on-year. Poole had 945 (up 45, five per cent) Christchurch 215 (up 20, 10 per cent), East Dorset 305 (up 40, 15 per cent), West Dorset 310 (up 10, three per cent) and Weymouth and Portland 500 (up 50, 11 per cent).

Falls were recorded in the New Forest, where there were 630 claimants (down 55, eight per cent), North Dorset, 210 (down 35, 14 per cent) and Purbeck, 155 (down five, three per cent).

Mr McArthur said a recent jobs fair had attracted Hall & Woodhouse, Yo Sushi, Sandy Balls Holiday Park and TK Maxx, which is opening a store at Christchurch’s Meteor Retail Park.

More jobs would be created when BH2 – formerly called West Central – began opening on Bournemouth’s Westover Road.

“The labour market is still very positive. We are still one of the most successful areas in the country. Let’s not forget that,” he said.

“We still have one of the best employment rates in the UK. We still have very positive businesses and the work ethic of local people is still very strong. Unemployment numbers are still very positive.”

Nationally, unemployment dropped to 4.9 per cent – its lowest level since 2005.

Employment minister Damian Hinds said there were 2.7million people in work in the South West, with its employment rate of 77.9 per cent one of the highest in the country.