The number of people in work in the East jumped by 31,000 in the three months to November.

New Office of National Statistics data from September to October last year show a healthy spike in employment rates.

The total number of people aged 16 to 64 now employed in the East stands at 3.1 million.

Nationally, average earnings increased by 3.4% which outpaced inflation.

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The UK's jobless rate is now 4%, down by 0.2% on a year ago, and the lowest since 1975.

The ONS said average weekly earnings, adjusted for price inflation, increased by 1.2% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.

Conservative MP Chloe Smith welcomed the figures and highlighted that her constituency of Norwich North has 850 people who are unemployed – which at 1.9% of the economically active population is much lower than the national average.

She said: 'Bringing good quality jobs to Norwich is one of my key priorities – these figures show that Norwich is moving in the right direction. I particularly welcome the statistics showing that number of young unemployed people have fallen compared to this time last year.

'Every person in employment is an individual, with a story of their own, and I would encourage local employers to rise to the challenge of seeing if they can help change a life through offering someone a job.'