UK unemployment fell by 48,000 in the three months to March, taking the figure to its lowest since records began.

The Government's preferred jobless measure, the so-called ILO figure, fell to 1.41 million, Office for National Statistics data showed.

Meanwhile, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit last month fell by 6,000 to 876,300.

With the unemployment rate at 4.7%, more people are in work than at any time since 1984, when records began.

The ONS added that average earnings rose by 5.2% in the year to March, up by 0.3% from the previous month.

The ONS added that the number of people in work had soared to 28.35 million in March, rising 195,000 during the quarter.

The ONS also said that the number of so-called "economically inactive" people - which includes those not looking for a job or who do not want to work - fell by 80,000 to 7.76 million during the three months to March.

However, the manufacturing sector is still suffering, with jobs at their lowest level since records began in 1978.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The job market continues to go from strength to strength but manufacturing workers are still losing their jobs in droves.