RYEDALE continues to have one of the healthiest job markets in North Yorkshire, despite experiencing an 11 per cent rise in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits last month.

Statistics for the number of jobless people in the county in December show the significant rise in Ryedale on the previous month, but the district continues to have a healthy employment market compared with nearby areas.

North Yorkshire County Council figures show there were 257 men and 148 women out of work last month in Ryedale.

That figure compares with Selby district, where 602 men and 254 women are claiming unemployment benefit - a decrease of 0.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, Hambleton and Harrogate districts experienced two per cent rises in the number of jobless people.

Ryedale councillor Robert Wainwright said the 11 per cent rise in unemployed people represented a slight increase as the total number of jobless people in the district was small.

He said the increase in Ryedale could represent people finishing seasonal work at the end of 2006 and yet to find new jobs.

In Scarborough district, where seasonal work is important to the economy, 214 people registered as unemployed in December.

Coun Wainwright, chairman of the council's policy and resources committee, said: "We all know that unemployment for the district is very low and the council already has plans for building industrial units to create new jobs with the possibility of more in the future.

"Employers in Ryedale should be able to take advantage of our excellent local skills base."

In North Yorkshire as a whole in December, there were 4,028 men out of work and 1,639 jobless women, making a total of 5,667. This represented a 5.9 per cent increase.

Of those claiming unemployment benefit in December, 25.9 per cent of them in Ryedale district had been registered jobless for more than six months, compared with 28.1 per cent in Selby district, 23.9 per cent in Hambleton district and 28.4 per cent in Harrogate district.

In September, The Press revealed the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Ryedale was the second lowest in the Yorkshire region, according to Government figures.