Small drop in jobless numbers

The number of unemployed people in the UK fell by 3,000 in the three months up to December 2009.

At the end of last year unemployment stood at 2.46 million, according to the National Office of Statistics.

This is the second month in a row the wider measure of unemployment has fallen. But long-term unemployment and the number of people claiming job seeker's allowance have both risen to the highest figures since Labour came to power.

The Government believes that increased investment and changes in the labour market will help bring unemployment down. Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “These figures show how important it is to keep increasing not cutting back on the help for people to get work."

But these plans are compromised by fears of rendundancies in the public sector.

Cornwall Council is the largest single employer in the county and employment in the public sector has been propping up figures.

Council job losses could see local unemployment soar over the next few months. Up to 600 jobs are expect to be lost at Cornwall Council as a result of deep cuts in public spending over the next four years.

In Cornwall, job seeker's allowance claimants have risen by about 5%. This can be explained by a lack of seasonal jobs in the winter season.