London jobless figure plummets

Unemployment fell by 19,000 to 1.54 million - an unemployment rate of 5.1% of the workforce - in the three months to March compared to the previous three-month period.

The figures are based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition, which includes people not eligible for benefit and is the government's preferred measure.

Six of the 12 UK regions saw a fall in joblessness with the biggest drop, of 21,000, being in London. The South West saw a 5,000 decline in numbers.

However, areas seeing rises in joblessness included the South East, with a jump of 9,000, and the North West, with an increase of 4,000.

The claimant count, however, rose by 3,200 in April to 953,000 - an unemployment rate of 3.2% of the workforce.

Manufacturing continues to haemorrhage jobs - down by 170,000 in the three months to March to a new record low of 3.7 million, according to National Statistics.

The worst hit industries were electrical and optical equipment, with 55,000 jobs lost; textiles, leather and clothing (28,000); and metal products (26,000).

TUC general secretary John Monks said: "Today's claimant unemployment figures highlight the fragility of the recovery in the labour market."