WYRE Forest's MP has warned against complacency after figures revealed another fall in unemployment.

Numbers released on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics show the number of people without a job and claiming Jobseekers' Allowance in the district fell by 41 last month (Dec 2013) to 1740 - 3.6 per cent of those in or looking for work.

It compares to a rate of 4.7 per cent in the West Midlands region and 3.8 per cent nationally. Year -n-year the number has fallen by 448 since December 2012.

Conservative MP Mark Garnier said: "Yet again we have seen another drop in the unemployment rate in Wyre Forest, highlighting improvements in our local economy. The Wyre Forest unemployment rate is consistently lower than the national rate and the West Midlands region.

"While this is encouraging, it does highlight the importance of local events such as the jobs fairs. While I am pleased this trend is continuing, I cannot be complacent, there is still more work to be done. I will continue to organise local events such as the jobs fair and the business forum, which is being held on February 28 to provide advice to small businesses vital to creating jobs."

National statistics showed the number of people in employment in December rose by 280,000 to 30.15 million and the number out of work in the three months to last November fell by 167,000 - the biggest drop since 1997.