Norfolk jobless at eight-month high

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Norfolk rose to an eight-month high in December.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed 16,252 people were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the county on December 9, up from 15,994 in November.

But Norwich saw a slight drop, down 35 to 3,944.

But figures for Suffolk remained stable, at 12,013, down 52 on the previous month, with numbers for Cambridgeshire down two at 7,928.

Across the East of England, 103,627 were claiming the benefit in December, up from 103,483 in November.

Nationally, separate figures showed unemployment rose by 49,000 to 2.5 million, with a record one in five 16 to 24-year-olds out of work.