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20
Aug
‘Worrying’ rise in unemployment in Ripon, says MP
Skipton and Ripon Sir Julian Smith has expressed concern following the publication of the latest claimant count figures for his constituency.
The latest Office for National Statistics data, released this week, shows 990 people in Skipton and Ripon were claiming unemployment-related benefits in July 2026.
This represents an increase of 90 claimants compared with July 2025 and a rise of 30 compared with the previous month. Despite this increase, the claimant rate is 1.7% of the working-age population, below the UK average of 3.9%.
Conservative Sir Julian said:
While Skipton and Ripon continues to have a claimant rate significantly below the national average, any increase in the number of people relying on unemployment-related benefits is a cause for concern.
The rise of 90 claimants over the past year is a worrying sign and suggests the government needs to do more to support businesses to grow and create jobs locally.
The claimant counts in Harrogate and Knaresborough and Wetherby and Easingwold have also both gone up, by 55 and 95 respectively year-on-year while.
The claimant rate is 1.9% in Harrogate and Knaresborough and 1.5% in Wetherby and Easingwold.
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