UNEMPLOYMENT in West Cumbria increased last month, official figures show.

There were 895 job hunters claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit in Copeland, 2.1 per cent of the workforce, up from 870 in September.

The rise there more than offset a slight fall in Allerdale, by 10 to 1,075, 1.8 per cent.

Across Cumbria the jobless total was unchanged at 4,480 (1.5 per cent) as a fall in claimants in Carlisle was offset by increases in Eden and Barrow.

Nationally, the seasonally-adjusted claimant count increased by 9,800 in September to 803,300, the third consecutive monthly rise.

But the rolling total, which includes job hunters not eligible for benefits, fell by 37,000 to 1.6 m in the three months to September, the lowest since 2006.

David Freeman, a statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said: “Unemployment is at its lowest for more than 10 years and the employment rate remains at a record high.

“ Nonetheless, there are signs that the labour market might be cooling, with employment growth slowing.”

Average earnings increased by 2.3 per cent in the year to October, comfortably above the inflation rate, which fell from 1.0 per cent to 0.9 per cent last month.