Unemployment Increases In The East Of England

19 March 2014, 12:30 | Updated: 19 March 2014, 12:35

Despite new figures showing unemployment is down across the UK, that's not the case for the Eastern region.

Figures from the National Office of Statistics have shown that unemployment in the Eastern region has increased by 6,000 in the three months before January.

From November to January, there were 183,000 people unemployed in the East of England, meaning 5.8% of people in this part of the country don't have a job.

Nationwide unemployment has fallen by 63,000 and the total number of people out of work now stands at 2.3 million. Just over 30 million people across the UK are in jobs which is the highest number since records began in 1971.

Things like youth and long-term unemployment also fell.

Employment Minister Esther McVey said: "We now have the highest employment rate for five years, which shows that the growing economy is helping record numbers of people to find a job, turn their lives around and have the security of a regular wage.

"The rise in employment is being fuelled by businesses and entrepreneurs across the country who are feeling increasingly confident with the improving economy. They should be congratulated for creating over 1.7 million private sector jobs since 2010 - that's over 1,000 more people in private sector jobs every day."

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: "This has been the longest recession in living memory. The Government has to show more urgency to help its main victims, nearly one million young workers out of work, into proper jobs. GMB will assess today's Budget on what it does to avoid a lost generation."