The number of people in work in the East Midlands has increased by 13,339 and the number of people out of work has fallen by 9,620 over the past year, according to figures released this morning.

The latest regional employment bulletin from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that between December 2015 and February 2016, there were 2.25 million people in jobs and 106,146 people unemployed across the region.

It means the East Midlands’ employment rate currently stands at 59.9%, while the region’s unemployment rate of 4.5% remains well below the national 5.1% and is the fourth lowest of all UK regions.

In terms of Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) claimants, there was a monthly decrease of 630, to 31,990 across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire between January and February, and there were 6,005 fewer claimants across the three counties than there were in March 2015.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber*, said: “The local labour market has stabilised following the usual seasonal spike in unemployment as temporary contracts came to an end after the Christmas period and these figures are once again positive and further demonstrate just how robust the East Midlands is when it comes to creating jobs and driving the economy.

“However, we need to be mindful of future uncertainties which may affect business confidence and prompt employers to put their investment recruitment plans on hold until stability returns.

“Changes to apprenticeships funding, the introduction of a National Living Wage and the continued rollout of auto-enrolment mean that employers are also facing increasing up-front costs.

“It’s vital that business policy continues to provide the right support and environment to facilitate job creation, particularly in the production sectors, where the East Midlands’ real strength lies.”