Unemployment falls in West Midlands despite rising to 1.7m in UK
The number of people unemployed in the West Midlands was down again for the period from December to February.
Nationally unemployment increased for the first time in almost a year.
The jobless total jumped by 21,000 between December and February to 1.7 million - the first rise since last summer.
For the West Midlands it was down 6,000 to 152,000 - an unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent.
But the number of unemployed people claiming benefits rose across the Black Country last month.
Sandwell saw the highest increase of 185 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit to 6,905 - 3.5 per cent of the working population.
Dudley was up 50 to 5,355 (2.8 per cent), Wolverhampton increased by 45 to 6,530 (4.1 per cent) and Walsall had 40 more claimants at 4,500 (2.7 per cent).
Across Staffordshire the total was up by five to 5,010 (0.9 per cent).
Both Stafford (610 - 0.7 per cent) and Lichfield (400 - 0.6 per cent) were up by five, but Cannock Chase (740 - 1.2 per cent) and South Staffordshire (710 - 1%) bucked the trend with falls of 15.
For Wyre Forest, which includes Kidderminster, the claimant total also fell by 15 to 740 (1.3 per cent).
