THE number of young people who have been unemployed for six months or more in East Cleveland has fallen by almost a third since last year.

Government figures show young peo-ple and the long-term unemployed have benefited from the New Deal scheme.

Nationally, the number of people aged between 18 and 24 who have been out of work and claiming benefit for six months or more has fallen by 70 per cent since Labour came to power in 1997.

Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said the commitment of both employers and young people in the area had been outstanding.

He said: "Arming young people with the skills and the experience they need to enter the world of work is essential. By equipping them properly, we are not only helping them, but the employers that take them on.