Jobless figures in Brighton and Hove are at their lowest since the start of the financial crisis – with the city bucking the national trend.

The digital economy is helping to fuel the city’s jobs boom for graduates while apprenticeship programmes are opening doors for school leavers.

According to the latest Government figures, the number of people in the city claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance plunged by 4.5% to 5,841.

The figure has also fallen across the county with 1,150 fewer people claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance month-on-month.

Jason Woodford, chief executive at Site Visibility in Union Street, said his company has grown from 22 to 27 members of staff in the last year and that he has launched a recruitment arm to service the industry nationally.

He said: “The digital sector adds value to the city’s economy.

“We have two great universities pumping out talent but we can’t get enough of these people.”

Stefan Hull boss at Search Engine Optimisation company Propellernet, in Castle Square, said his firm had grown by a third year-on-year.

He said: “Over the last 12 months we’ve taken the approach by investing time and money into making Propellernet an agency that people want to be involved in and we are all enjoying the benefits.”

Alastair Digby at website designer Madgex in North Street added: “Brighton boasts a huge and rich variety of digital talent.

“Since Madgex was formed we have grown organically to a team of over 50 employees and are very much a part of the vibrant Brighton digital community.”

Caroline Morris at Wired Sussex said the digital sector in the city is growing from strength to strength.

She said that the number of vacancies in the digital sector in the city had jumped by 17% year on year.

Bosses also singled out apprenticeship schemes as helping to drive down youth unemployment in the city.

Donna Keenan, managing director at City Business Skills based at City College Brighton and Hove said the success of the Argus-backed 25 in 5 campaign was testament to the willingness of employers to take on young people.

Barry McLaughlin at Albion in the Community, the charitable arm of Albion in the Community said its Want to Work scheme was helping to get young people off the dole queue.

He said: “Brighton has always been a ‘can do’ type of city and the private sector continues to create jobs.”