The number of jobless people in Sussex has dropped by almost 3,000 in the last year.

It follows the Government's announcement that unemployment nationally has fallen below the one million mark for the first time since 1975.

In the last three years alone, unemployment has fallen by 47 per cent in Brighton and Hove, while the number of claimants for Job Seekers Allowance is down by more than 5,500.

There are currently 6,276 jobless men and women in Brighton and Hove, or 4.7 per cent of the population.

Long-term unemployment is down by 68 per cent and youth unemployment is down by 86 per cent.

Elsewhere in East Sussex there are 6,017 people claiming unemployment benefit, or 3.2 per cent of the population, a drop of 741 in the last 12 months.

Hastings currently has 2,120 claimants while Eastbourne has 1,373.

Elsewhere the figures are as follows: Lewes, (947) Rother (849) and Wealden (728).

In West Sussex 4,863 people are currently claiming unemployment benefit, or 1.3 per cent of the population. This is a reduction of 1,109 in the last 12 months.

The Arun district has the highest number of jobless people, 1,046 or two per cent of the total population.

Elsewhere in the county the figures are: Crawley 784, Chichester 758, Worthing 713, Horsham 553, Mid Sussex 551 and Adur 458.