According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the rate of unemployment currently stands at 7.8 per cent, dropping from 7.9 per cent last month. This is the first fall in unemployment for the past 18 months.
The organisation pointed out that this means there are 2.46 million unemployed people in the UK, compared to 28.92 million with jobs.
Commenting on the figures, work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'The extra investment in jobs, education and training is making a real difference, helping people through the recession and preventing the kind of unemployment we saw in the eighties and nineties.'
She also pointed out that the ONS figures show that 450,000 fewer people are unemployed than was forecast by experts last year.
Earlier this month, Phil Flaxton, chief executive of not-for-profit initiative Work Wise UK, said that optimism is gradually improving in the country's jobs market.
The organisation pointed out that this means there are 2.46 million unemployed people in the UK, compared to 28.92 million with jobs.
Commenting on the figures, work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'The extra investment in jobs, education and training is making a real difference, helping people through the recession and preventing the kind of unemployment we saw in the eighties and nineties.'
She also pointed out that the ONS figures show that 450,000 fewer people are unemployed than was forecast by experts last year.
Earlier this month, Phil Flaxton, chief executive of not-for-profit initiative Work Wise UK, said that optimism is gradually improving in the country's jobs market.
