Unemployment figures reveal improvement in region

Unemployment in Yorkshire has decreased by 10,000 in the quarter to March, official figures have revealed.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a total of 230,000 people were unemployed in the region between January and March.

The region's unemployment rate was 8.3% and saw a drop of 4.2% during the period.

Nationwide, the number of people in work has reached a record high after further falls in unemployment, fuelled by more self-employment.

More than 30.4 million people are now in work - the highest since records began in 1971 - while self-employment has also reached a record high of 4.5 million.

The number of people working for themselves jumped by 183,000 in the quarter, compared with a rise of 375,000 over the past year.

Unemployment has fallen by 133,000 to 2.2 million, the lowest for five years, giving a jobless rate of 6.8%.

Other data from the ONS showed that jobseeker's allowance claimants fell by 25,100 in April to 1.12 million, the 18th consecutive monthly reduction.

Meanwhile, average earnings increased by 1.7% in the year to March, slightly ahead of the latest CPI inflation rate of 1.6% - the first time this has happened for four years.

The number of economically-inactive people fell by 85,000 in the latest quarter to 8.85 million, while long-term and youth unemployment also fell.

The number of people out of work for over a year was down by 32,000 to 813,000, with unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds falling by 48,000 to 868,000, the lowest figure for five years.

Unemployment has fallen by more than 300,000 over the past year, giving jobless rates of 7% for men and 6.4% for women.

The number of people in a job rose 283,000 in the last three months - the largest quarterly increase in 43 years. The number of unemployed young people has been falling for the last eight months.

Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the news on Twitter: