Unemployment fell by a further 12 in Acocks Green in August, leaving the unadjusted claimant level at 1,079 (or 9.6%), which is 100 down on a year ago. Across Birmingham the unadjusted rate fell by 316 in the month to stand at 46,096 or 3,977 lower than a year ago. The month’s seasonally adjusted fall was bigger: 1,089 across the City. The number of long term (12 months or more) unemployed in Acocks Green is now 368 (unchanged on last month) and the number of youth (18-24) claimants is 288, 22 down on last month. This fall in youth unemployment is very welcome, though there is much more to be done.

Despite these falls Birmingham retained its position as having the highest unemployment of the major UK cities with a claimant rate of 10.1% compared to 8.8% in Liverpool, 4.7% in Greater London and 4.4% across the UK as a whole.

Nationally unemployment also fell while employment levels reached a record high with the private sector creating jobs three times faster than the public sector has been losing them. For more details you can visit the relevant pages of the Office of National Statistics website here