Jobless rate stays above the national average

Unemployment in the North East continues to be higher than almost any other part of the country, according to new figures.

DatafromtheOfficeforNational Statistics (ONS) show the January jobless rate in the North East was 4.1% – compared to the national figure of 3.7%.

Although both the regional and national rates remained largely unchanged, the data show further signs of looming problems in the jobs market – with a fall in vacancies and an increase in redundancies.

The figures also showed there were 220,000 days lost to strike action in January – down from 822,000 in December – with schools the hardest hit.

The data revealed a 51,000 drop in the number of job vacancies to 1.2 million, while the redundancy rate edged higher.

Pay also remained under pressure despite declining inflation and a 6.5% in increase in regular wages, excluding bonuses, though this was slower than the 6.7% rise in the previous three months.

With inflation taken into account, real regular pay fell by 3.5%.

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.

Callum George, policy adviserattheNorthEastEngland Chamber of Commerce, said: “Although the unemployment rateintheNorthEastwas0.4% higher than the national average, the employment rate has improved by 0.6%.

“What’s important is that we can match the right skills to vacancies in the area, to ensure that employment is fulfilling and long-term.”