The number of people in work in the West Midlands is higher than ever.

Latest unemployment figures show the number of people with jobs in the region has increased by 69,000 over the past year.

The number of unemployed people fell by 17,000 over the year.

It means there are currently 143,000 people in the West Midlands region who are unemployed.

But the region's unemployment rate is still one of the highest in the country, at 5%.

This is higher than in any other region of England except one, Yorkshire and The Humber. It's also higher than in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Birmingham continues to have some of the highest pockets of unemployment in the country.

Official figures showing the number of people claiming unemployment benefit by Parliamentary constituency show that four of the ten constituencies with the highest rates are in Birmingham.

Hartlepool has the highest claimant rate in the country, followed by Birmingham Ladywood in second place.

There are 6,260 claimants in Ladywood, 6.2% of the working-age population. This refers to people aged 16 to 64.

In third place is Great Yarmouth, followed by Birmingham Hodge Hill, Birmingham Erdington and then Birmingham Perry Barr.

Claimants can be receiving Jobseekers Allowance or the equivalent payment as part of Universal Credit.

National figures published at the same time showed that pay is going up faster than inflation.

Average earnings increased by 2.8% in the year to February, unchanged on the previous month and the highest since September 2015.

The latest CPI inflation figure is 2.7% and is expected to remain unchanged when new figures are published on Wednesday.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey welcomed the figures
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey welcomed the figures

Think tank the Resolution Foundation welcomed the news, but said that Britain had a lot of ground to make up on pay, with average annual earnings still almost £800 a year lower than they were a decade ago.

Stephen Clarke, Senior Economic Analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: " It’s good to see pay finally back in positive territory, but Britain has a lot of ground to make up after an awful decade of pay squeezes, stagnation and all too fleeting recoveries.

"On average, people are still taking home less than they did before the crisis.

"Britain’s booming jobs market has been the antidote to its wage woes, and there were more encouraging signs today as unemployment hit a fresh low.

"This should increase wage pressure, though ultimately productivity gains will be needed for sustainable pay growth."

Trade union leaders also pointed out that pay was lower, once inflation is taken into account, than before the banking crisis.

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Unions have negotiated pay rises for workers across the UK, from the counters at McDonald's to the factory floor at Ford.

"But wage growth is still weak. Workers are £14 a week worse off than they were in 2007 - with pay packets not expected to return to their pre-crisis level until 2025."

Nationally, more people than ever before are in work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said: "Another milestone for employment has been reached under this Government as employment reaches a record high, up 3.2 million since 2010 - the 16th time the employment record has been broken in the same period.

"That means, on average, over 1,000 people have moved into work every day since 2010, and credit has to be given to the businesses who have created those jobs and the individuals who are taking those opportunities."