The West Midlands saw a rise in unemployment in the three months to January but figures were still significantly down on the same time last year.
The unemployment rate now stands at 4.5 per cent and the number of unemployed, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics, stands at 132,000 compared to 131,000 in the three months to December.
The ONS said the national rate of unemployment stood at 3.7 per cent in the three months to January, unchanged from the previous three months. Pay also remained under pressure despite declining inflation and a 6.5 per cent in increase in regular wages, excluding bonuses, though this was slower than the 6.7 per cent rise in the previous three months.Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the Office for National Statistics, said: “Recent trends have continued, with a slight rise in employment, especially among part-timers.
“However, a record number of people were completely outside the labour market due to long-term sickness.
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