Fall in unemployment figures

Unemployment in East Kilbride dropped in the run up to Christmas.

The latest figures released by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) saw a drop of seven per cent in the number of claimants across the town between November and December 2017.

There was an improvement on the annual figures, with a 27 per cent reduction in unemployment.

Avondale also enjoyed positive figures, with an 11 per cent drop-off month-onmonth and a 20 per cent decrease from the previous December.

East Kilbride reflected the trend across South Lanarkshire. There was a fall in the number of claimants between the months of seven per cent and a 26 per cent drop over a-12 month period.

The claimant count includes those who are on Jobseeker’s Allowance or who are searching for work on Universal Credit.

However, East Kilbride could soon be impacted by job losses at Toys R Us with a spokesperson stating that up to 20 jobs could go in February.

A Toys R Us spokesman said:“We do not have a defined closing date for our East Kilbride store. It will be in the spring but no specific date has been set so far.”

The Mavor Avenue store – near Kingsgate Retail Park – is among 26 outlets set to be axed.

The American-owned toy giant say their larger, warehouse-style stores, including the one in East Kilbride which opened in 2012, are too big and expensive to run.