More skilled workers are needed to fill vacancies at care homes in Hounslow, it emerged today, as unemployment in the borough fell yet again.

The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) in Hounslow has dropped to 3,206, figures published today by the Department for Work and Pensions show - a reduction of 937, or 23 per cent, from this time last year.

The number of young people claiming the benefit has also shrunk from 960 a year ago to 650 - a drop of 32 per cent.

The latest employment figures for the borough mirror those nationally, with UK unemployment down to six per cent and the number of young people in work up by 109,000 on this time last year.

Jaswant Lall, community engagement manager at Hounslow JobCentre, said staff had been working closely with local employers to help jobseekers back into work.

She said there were vacancies at Heathrow, in the care sector and the building industry locally, but it was a case of equipping people with the skills to fill them.

"We're working in partnership with Heathrow to support young people into work there, particularly in hospitality, retail and administration," she told getwestlondon.

"We're also focusing on the care sector and building industry in Hounslow, where we're trying to fill the many vacancies by up-skilling and training our unemployed clients."

Across the border in Ealing, today's figures showed there had been a 21.5 per cent fall in JSA claimants since April.