U.K. UNEMPLOYMENT FALLS BELOW THREE MLN IN MAY
U.K. Unemployment fell a record
provisional, seasonally-adjusted 64,300 in May to a total 2.95
mln or 10.6 pct of the workforce, the Employment Department
said.
    In April, seasonally-adjusted unemployment fell by an
upwardly revised 21,600 to 3.02 mln or 10.9 pct, it said.
    The unadjusted jobless total in May, including school
leavers, alos fell a record 121,000 to 2.99 mln or 10.8 pct
from April's 3.11 mln, 11.2 pct.
    May was the eleventh successive decline from a peak last
summer of 11.6 pct, the Employment Department said.
    "Unemployment has fallen to under three mln for the first
time in over three years. The May fall of 64,000 was the
largest drop since records were first kept (in 1948),"
Employment Minister Norman Fowler said.
    All regions have seen above average falls in long term
unemployment during the past year, he added.
    The last time the adjusted total of unemployed was below
three mln was July 1984, while the unadjusted total was last
below this level in June 1983.
 REUTER
