The number of workers on company payrolls in South Lakeland has continued to increase, new figures show.

UK unemployment has dropped to its lowest figure in 50 years, according to official data from the Office for National Statistics, though soaring prices are still hitting the pockets of people across the nation as earnings fail to keep up with inflation.

In the east Cumbria region, which covers three local authorities, 117,244 people were in payrolled employment in March, ONS figures show.

This was up from 117,227 the month before and from 112,811 in March 2021.

At the start of the pandemic, 116,064 people were in payrolled jobs in the area.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "The stats show the continued strength of our jobs market, with the number of employees on payrolls rising once again in March and unemployment falling further below pre-pandemic levels."

Separate ONS figures also show there has been a fall in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the South Lakeland local authority area over the last year.

Around 1,105 people were on out-of-work benefits as of March 10, down by 925 from 2,030 at the same point the year before.

It meant 1.9% of the area's working population sought support in March.

The figures include those aged 16 to 64 on Jobseeker’s Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, who are unemployed and seeking work or employed but with low earnings.