People out of work in Macclesfield are being trained to use social media to boost their job prospects.

Job Centre Plus in Macclesfield has embarked on a pilot scheme coaching those out of work in how to use Facebook and Twitter to find opportunities.

Alan Baines, regional manager of Jobcentre Plus covering Macclesfield, said the new training was essential in an increasingly competitive job market.

He said: “The days have changed when you just go to the Job Centre to look at vancancies. Most jobs are online and social media can be a great way to keep in touch with vacancies.

“We are in a very competitive job market and those not in work are being encouraged to use social media to find jobs.

“Employers are increasingly using social media to find applicants.

“The coaching on offer will help them improve their social media presence.

“We are also teaching them to use Twitter to sign up for daily hints on job hunting.”

October saw another drop in jobless figures in Macclesfield to 443 people claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance.

It is the 27th successive month the unemployment figures have fallen in the town.

The figure represents a massive fall from a recent peak of 1,688 in July 2009 at the height of the recession.

A breakdown of October’s figures reveals there were 65 people aged 18-24 claiming JSA, 215 aged 25-49 and 160 aged 50 or over.

Two thirds of the total out of work - 311 - are males, compared to 132 females.

Figures also show the mount of time people have been out of work.

A third of jobless people - 145 - claiming JSA have been out of work for more than a year. A further 55 people have been unemployed for between six and 12 months, and 240 have been out of work for less than six months.

Mr Baines said it was encouraging that long term unemployment was falling but more must be done to get people back into work.

He said: “Long terms unemployment in the North West is down by 25 percent compared to last year which is an encouraging position.

“The problem with those who have not been in a job for a while is that they can lose touch with the Job Centre over time and start to develop gaps in their work history making getting work more challenging.”