THE number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance has increased across South West Wales.

The claimant count in Swansea increased from 4,794 in December last year to 5,633 in January this year.

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in Neath Port Talbot went up from 2,901 in December to 3,452 in January.

Carmarthenshire also saw a rise in the claimant count from 3,457 in December last year to 3,721 in January this year.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance also rose across Wales in the same period from 77,800 in December to 79,100 in January.

Unemployment across Wales fell by 3,00 to 134,000 from October to December last year.

Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan welcomed the fall in unemployment nationally and said: "I am fully committed to working together with the Welsh Government to maximise opportunities for businesses in Wales and very recently met with the Business and Enterprise Minister Ediwna Hart to discuss the issue.

"We need to do all we can to help promote Wales as a business destination.

"We have a workforce, a location and business knowledge to be proud of in Wales and I am confident that these factors remain a competitive and attractive choice for both domestic and international investors."