NEW figures have revealed that the number of households in which no one has a job in the region has hit a record low.

The latest set of employment figures for the West Midlands show that the number of households across the region in which no one has a job is down 27,000 in the past year, to 280,000.

Employment Minister Damian Hinds said: “We’re absolutely committed to delivering a country that works for everybody, and the fact that the number of workless households in the West Midlands has continued to fall shows that we’re making real progress.

“Welfare reforms like the Benefit Cap and Universal Credit are helping people to take control of their own lives and are incentivising work.

“With more than 2.6m people in employment across the West Midlands – up by 59,000 in the past year alone - there are plenty of opportunities out there.”

This picture has been replicated across the country with the number of workless households falling by nearly 200,000 in the past year to 3.1m – the lowest level since records began.