Unemployment in the East Midlands fell by 15,000 in the three months to February. The Office for National Statistics said that 175,000 people were looking for work in the region between December and February. Nationally unemployment increased by 70,000 to 2.56m.
Commenting on the unemployment figures published today, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce said:
– Scott Knowles, Deputy Chief Executive“Although there was a rise in the number of claimants in Derby and also a slight increase in Nottingham, there was a significant drop in the number of claimants across both counties, which is positive news and would tally with the findings of the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey, which found an increase in the number of firms recruiting in the first three months of the year.
The latest unemployment figures show that between December 2011 and February 2012 189,000 people were out of work in the East Midlands and 239,000 in the West Midlands.
There's been a rise in unemployment throughout Britain for the 12th month in a row.
In the West Midlands, 241,000 are out of work. That is 9.1 % of the population.
Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Liam Byrne MP, said:
– Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill"It is now clear that the Government's troubled Work Programme is simply not doing the business.
Ministers' welfare to work schemes are just not up to the job.
"This Government's mistaken decision to raise taxes and cut spending too far and too fast has choked off the recovery, pushed up unemployment and will mean £158 billion of extra borrowing to pay for economic failure. We desperately need a budget for jobs and growth next week."
Unemployment has risen at its slowest quarterly rate since May 2011 according to official figures released today.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that unemployment for the three months to January 2012 rose by 0.1%.