THE number of workers on company payrolls in Brighton continues to rise, new figures show.

UK unemployment has dropped to its lowest figure in 50 years, according to official data from the Office for National Statistics.

But soaring prices are still hitting the pockets of people across the nation as earnings fail to keep up with inflation.

In Brighton and Hove, 127,606 people were in payrolled employment in March, ONS figures show.

This was up from 126,390 the month before and up from 119,436 in March 2021.

At the start of the pandemic, 125,023 people were in paid jobs in the area.

Figures show that across the UK, the unemployment rate hit 3.8 per cent in the three months to February – it has not been lower than this since 1974.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "The stats show the continued strength of our jobs market, with the number of employees on payrolls rising once again in March and unemployment falling further below pre-pandemic levels."

However, the ONS said real pay was now "falling noticeably", with regular wages excluding bonuses tumbling 1.8 per cent after inflation in the three months to February, the steepest decline in almost nine years.

Labour has called on Mr Sunak to "show the leadership the country needs" amid the cost-of-living crisis, while Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said the Chancellor has done little to help families in the current climate.

"By holding down pay in the public sector and cutting Universal Credit, he has made the crisis worse," said Ms O'Grady.

"Families need help now. Whoever is Chancellor tomorrow should go to Parliament with an emergency budget to help with surging energy bills and to get wages rising."

Mr Sunak acknowledged this is a "worrying time" but highlighted the £22 billion in support that the government is providing in 2022-23, including the Household Support fund.

Employment Minister and Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies said the government was "doing everything we can to help", including supporting people in moving into better paid, higher skilled work and increasing the National Living and Minimum Wage.

Separate ONS figures also show there has been a fall in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the Brighton and Hove local authority area over the last year.

Around 9,070 people were on out-of-work benefits as of March 10, down by 5,175 from 14,245 at the same point the year before.

It meant 4.4 per cent of the area's working population sought support in March.

The figures include those aged 16 to 64 on Jobseeker’s Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, who are unemployed and seeking work or employed but with low earnings.