THE number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the Bradford district increased last month, according to the latest figures.

Information released today by the Office of National Statistics showed that 12,352 people in the district claimed Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) during January, up 133 from 12,219 the previous month.

All of the new claimants were men - 7,861 up from 7,718 - while the number of women claiming JSA dropped by ten to 4,491.

The current claimant count stands at 3.8 per cent of the district's population, compared to a regional average of 2.8 per cent and a national average of two per cent.