Jobless figures in Brighton and Hove have plummeted to a new low.

Over the past six months, according to the latest Government figures, the number of people in the city claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance has plunged by 15% to 5,205.

The figure has also fallen across the county with 449 fewer people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance month-onmonth.

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Wendy Bell, general manager at Sussex Enterprise, the county’s chamber of commerce, said that figures showed that apprentice schemes are paying off.

She said: “More young people are taking up vocational work and there is a renewed sense of optimism in Sussex.

The county has always been comparatively buoyant but the news that the figures are at their lowest point since 2008 is really welcome.”

The news comes as warranty company Domestic & General has created 50 new jobs at its contact centre in Queens Square Brighton.

The announcement coincides with the opening of the firm’s office extension.

Renovation work began on the disused building adjacent to Domestic & General’s offices at the end of last year.

The 4,704-square foot extension boasts an additional 70 workstations, upgraded training facilities and additional meeting and recruitment suites.

The company’s site operations manager Ben Dale-Gough said:“We are looking to fill a number of newly-created full and part-time roles here in central Brighton.

“While it’s not essential to have previous experience working in a contact centre, we will be looking for transferrable skills such as good customer service and problem solving abilities, and good verbal and written communication skills.”