There was another modest but welcome, fall in Birmingham’s level of claimant unemployment in May. Seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment fell by 116 to 48,184 a rate of 10.6%. The national rate is 4.7%.

Unadjusted claimant unemployment in Birmingham fell by 745 in May (unemployment tends to fall in May, hence the lower seasonally adjusted fall) to 47,365 or 11.7%. This is 2,402 down on a year ago.

In Acocks Green unadjusted claimant unemployment fell by 32 in the month to 1,145, or 10.2%. This is down 36 on a year ago.

Total UK unemployment (rather than the claimant figures described above) is released for three month periods a month in arrears. In the three months to April it fell by 5,000 to 2.51m. The total number of people in employment rose to a record at 29.7 million, with over a million over 65s in work for the first time on record.