THE number of people out of work fell slightly last month in both Welwyn Hatfield and Hertsmere – bucking the national trend.

A total of 1,639 people in Welwyn Hatfield were registered as claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in November – down by seven people on October’s figure.

In Hertsmere, 1,573 people claimed the benefit – down from 1,609 on the previous month.

The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, revealed the total number of unemployed people in the UK increased 35,000 in the three months to October, to 2.5 million.

It was the first rise for six months.

Employment minister Chris Grayling said the UK economy still faced significant challenges, and the Coalition Government’s priority was to tackle the deficit and invest in the economy to help businesses create new jobs.

“Only with a successful economy will we be able to finally get Britain working again,” he said.