Jobcentre staff are making young people a priority as thousands of school leavers enter the jobs market this autumn.

Ann Sykes, Jobcentre employment and partnership manager for Calderdale and Kirklees, said efforts were continuing to give young people opportunities through apprentices and work experience as national figures showed another fall in UK unemployment.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed unemployment stood at 2.08m in the quarter to June – down by 132,000 on January to March and the lowest since the end of 2009 – giving an unemployment rate of 6.4%.

Figures also showed the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance is on course to dip below a million for the first time in six years.

The claimant count fell for the 21st month in a row in June – down by 33,600 to 1.01m – a trend which would see it fall below a million next month for the first time since September, 2008.

Among local parliamentary constituencies, the claimant count for Huddersfield fell by 88 to stand at 2,521 last month. The Colne Valley total was 149 lower at 1,589 while the tally for Dewsbury was down by 82 at 1,965.

Unemployment across Yorkshire during the quarter fell by 12,000 to 218,000.

Ms Sykes said the Kirklees figures remained positive with the claimant count across the district falling by 3.4% in July to 8,166.

She said: “We are continuing to give priority to young people and aim to try to give them opportunities that have a future, through apprentices and work experience, We are also starting to see a decrease in the numbers of long-term unemployed.”

Ms Sykes said August was traditionally a quiet time for the jobs market, but September would see an increase in opportunities as the retail and hospitality sectors began recruiting seasonal workers for Christmas. Some Christmas staff would end up getting permanent posts with the employer – while for others the experience would make it easier for them to find a job, she said.