Unemployment falls by 125,000 to 2.34 million but rate rises

Regional unemployment fiugures between October and December were as follows:

• North East: 130,000 (minus 3,000) 10%
• North West: 277,000 (minus 6,000) 8.1%
• Yorkshire/Humber: 240,000 (minus 8,000) 8.6%
• East Midlands: 162,000 (minus 4,000) 6.9%
• West Midlands: 226,000 (minus 31,000) 8.3%

• East of England: 180,000 (minus 1,000) 5.7%
• London: 351,000 (minus 25,000) 8.1%
• South East: 233,000 (minus 37,000) 5.1%
• South West: 177,000 (plus 3,000) 6.5%
• Wales: 105,000 (minus 12,000) 7.1%
• Scotland: 195,000 (minus 3,000) 7.1%
• Northern Ireland: 64,000 (plus 1,000) 7.4%

Nick Palmer, senior labour market statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said:

Some 1.4 million people are in part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time work, a fall of 29,000 over the latest quarter but 46,000 higher than a year ago, the Office for National Statistics said.

A rise in the unemployment rate despite a fall in the the total number of unemployed people occurs when the number of people eligible for work also falls.

Average earnings were up 1.1%, still behind the 1.9% consumer price index inflation measure announced yesterday.

The total number of unemployed people fell by 125,000.

Unemployment fell by 125,000 between October and December to 2.34 million, official figures showed today.