Unemployment has fallen slightly in the North East but remains the highest in the UK, new figures show.
Figures for the three months to the end of May show that the rate of unemployment in the region stood at 5.1%, a small fall from last month, but still above the national average of 3.8%. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits also fell, to 70,400.
The North East also had the highest rate of economically inactive people, with almost a quarter of the eligible workforce not available for work. The statistics also showed that real pay in the UK is falling at the fastest rate since records began as pay rises fail to keep pace with inflation.
