The number of unemployed people in the UK dropped by 50,000 to 1.53 million in the three months to the end of April.

The unemployment rate was 4.6 per cent, down from five per cent a year earlier and the lowest since 1975, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The UK's employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 who were in work) was 74.8per cent, the highest since comparable records began in 1971.

Neil Carberry, CBI Director of Employment and Skills, said: "Decent employment growth remains an encouraging feature of the UK economy, underlining the importance of maintaining a flexible and fair labour market.

"But weak pay growth, against the backdrop of rising inflation, means that people's pay packets won't stretch as far, which is already hitting living standards.

"Therefore politicians need to put the economy front and centre, create stability and ensure the EU negotiations get off to a positive start. In the longer term, we must fix the foundations of our economy by improving productivity growth through meaningful progress on a modern industrial strategy, with real change on the ground in skills, infrastructure and innovation."

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