Last updated at 13:58, Wednesday, 12 December 2012

A RECORD number of people are in work after the biggest quarterly fall in unemployment for more than a decade with a reduction of 8.6 per cent in the North West.

The jobless total fell by 82,000 in the three months to October to 2.51 million, down by 128,000 on a year ago.

The Office for National Statistics said it was the biggest quarterly fall since the Spring of 2001.

Employment jumped by 40,000 to 29.6 million, the highest figure since records began in 1971 and up by half a million on a year ago.

The shift in employment patterns was revealed in new data showing a slump in public sector employment and an increase in the numbers employed in private firms.

Public sector employment fell for the 12th consecutive quarter, by 24,000 to 5.7 million, the lowest since 2002.

Employment in the civil service was cut by 3,000 to 455,000, the lowest since records began in 1999, while local government employment also fell to a record low of 2.5 million after a cut of 32,000.

Private sector employment rose by 65,000 in the latest quarter to 23.8 million, the highest on record.

The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance fell by 3,000 in November to 1.58 million, following two monthly increases.

But those classed as economically inactive, including those looking after a family, on long-term sick leave or who have given up trying to find a job, increased by 60,000 to 9.07 million.

The number of unemployed women fell by 21,000 to 1.08 million compared with a fall of 61,000 among men.

A total of 449,000 people have been out of work for more than two years, up by 6,000, while 904,000 have been jobless for more than a year, unchanged from the previous quarter.

The number of unemployed 16- to 24-year-olds fell by 72,000 to 945,000.

Average earnings increased by 1.8% in the year to September, unchanged on the previous month.

Region Total unemployment Change on quarter Percentage rate:

North East 123,000 minus 11,000 9.5%
North West 298,000 minus 18,000 8.6%
Yorkshire/Humber 243,000 minus 29,000 8.8%
East Midlands 184,000 minus 8,000 8.0%
West Midlands 236,000 minus 1,000 8.7%
East of England 216,000 plus 15,000 6.9%
London 382,000 plus 5,000 9.0%
South East 283,000 no change 6.3%
South West 155,000 plus 2,000 5.7%
Wales 117,000 minus 15,000 7.9%
Scotland 204,000 minus 19,000 7.6%
Northern Ireland 68,000 minus 3,000 7.8%

First published at 11:54, Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk