Swindon continues to see a month on month drop in unemployment although November's jobless rate is up 10 per cent on the same month last year as major redundancy programmes start to take effect.

The latest figures show the total number of people registering for benefits in November at 2,315, down from 2,403 in October, or a rate down from 1.7 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

November jobless figures for the town in November last year was 1.5 percent, this year 1.6 per cent, a change of 10 per cent.

Nationally the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefit last month rose by 4,800 to 959,000, a jobless rate of 3.2 per cent.

Average earnings increased by 4.4 per cent in the year to October, up by 0.1 per cent compared with the previous month.

In response to the unemployment figures, TUC general secretary John Monks, said: "The overall rise in unemployment is disappointing, but it is encouraging that the total number of people in work has so far remained stable.

"Our big concern is the continued flood of job losses in manufacturing.

"We need action on two fronts. Firstly, the Bank of England should cut interest rates again in January and secondly, we believe the Chancellor should deliver a Budget for industry.

"We give manufacturing less support per worker than almost any other European economy and less in direct support for industrial research and development." "