Unemployment has fallen across the country — including West Dunbartonshire — but the latest figures released this week by the Office of National Statistics show the area still has one of the highest unemployment rates in Scotland.

At the start of the month 4,000 people in the region were without work, a rate of 9.1 per cent compared to the Scottish national rate of 4.9 per cent.

Unemployment in the area is the fourth highest in Scotland, after Glasgow, Dundee, and East Ayrshire.

However, those claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in West Dunbartonshire is falling at a faster rate than the Scottish average.

Jobseeker’s claimants were down 1.4 per cent compared to last year — while in Scotland the drop is 0.8 per cent.

Across West Dunbartonshire 4.1 per cent of working age people claim Jobseeker’s Allowance.

A spokesman for the DWP said the Youth Hub set up to work with partner agencies in the area such as colleges and Skills Development Scotland to give ‘advanced assistance’ needed in West Dunbartonshire was beginning to pay off.

He said: “The reduction year on year in West Dunbartonshire is significantly higher than a number of other areas in Scotland.

“The shows our approach is beginning to pay dividends for us.” He added: “We’ve seen another good set of labour market figures released this week — there are now 608,000 more people in work than a year ago, and the national employment rate is the joint highest on record.

“Unemployment continues to fall — this month’s figures show 486,000 fewer people unemployed compared to a year ago and the claimant count fell over 380,000 on the year — it’s great news that there are fewer people out of work and looking for a job.

“And we also have good news for our West Dunbartonshire as there are 780 fewer claimants than a year ago, including 250 fewer young people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance.” The latest figures were released after West Dunbartonshire MP Gemma Doyle highlighted the plight of unemployed young people in a speech in the House of Commons.

She hit out at the UK government for failing to do enough to bring down youth unemployment which rose to more than one million on their watch, and peaked at 1,220 in West Dunbartonshire.

She backed Labour’s Compulsory Jobs Guarantee which would guarantee a job with proper pay and training for all young people out of work for a year.

The scheme would be funded by a tax on bankers’ bonuses, which raised £3.4 billion when Labour implemented it in 2010.

Ms Doyle said: “This government’s record on youth unemployment is shameful.

“I am struck by the number of older people I speak to who are heartbroken for their children and grandchildren struggling to get a start in life.

“Older generations have seen the devastating effects of unemployment and they do not want five more years of it.

“Young people want wages not benefits and the Labour party are on their side.

“That’s why we’re guaranteeing paid work for anyone in long term unemployment.”