Unemployment in the North East has fallen to what is believed to be a record low, with the region now below the national average for people out of work for the first time in history.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) put unemployment in the region between February and April at 3.6%, a big fall on the 4.2% recorded for the last two months and below the UK average of 3.8%.
Having consistently been the national blackspot for unemployment for many decades, the North East has seen the biggest fall in unemployment over the last year and the highest rise in the number of people in work. There are now six regions and nations around the UK with worse figures for joblessness.
