Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for almost 10 years in the West Midlands after a further 10,000 were taken from the jobless queue.

There are now 157,000 people out of work in the region, an unemployment rate of 5.7 per cent. The last time it was this low was June 2006.

It means there are now 136,000 fewer people out of work than the peak of the recession, in the spring of 2009.

However, experts claim the rise in employment is at least partly down to more part-time and zero hours work.

Mike Steventon, Midlands regional chair at KPMG, said: “These figures must be celebrated, because they show that the UK’s engine for growth is really getting up steam and creating employment for the people who live within our region.”

Nationwide, unemployment has fallen by more than 100,000 to its lowest level in over seven years, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show.

The jobless total was slashed by 102,000 in the quarter to September to 1.75 million – 103,000 fewer than the previous three months and 210,000 down on a year ago.

The number of people in work has continued to increase, to a record high of 31.2 million, 419,000 more than a year ago and up by 177,000 over the quarter.

But the claimant count has increased for the third month in a row, up by 3,300 in October to 795,500.

Dr John Philpott, director of The Jobs Economist, said the figures had been boosted by part-time roles – which might paint a rosier picture than really exists.

He said: “Most of the rise in employment in the latest quarter is in part-time jobs with the result that total hours worked in the economy have fallen.

“The number of unfilled job vacancies is little changed and the rate of regular pay growth has fallen to 2.5 per cent, still very good when set against zero consumer price inflation but suggestive of an overall easing in the strength of demand for labour, especially when one also takes account of a slight rise in the number of people claiming unemployment-related welfare benefits.”