Youth unemployment in Brighton and Hove is falling, according to latest figures.

The city council confirmed the number of young people not in employment, education or training, commonly known as Neets, is down by almost 7%.

The figure puts Brighton and Hove among the most improved local authorities in the South East.

The Argus can reveal there were 552 Neets in the city in February 2008 but the latest figures from February 2009 confirm this has fallen to 514 Youth workers believe the reduction is because more youngsters in Brighton are enrolled on training programmes.

Kevin Grist, of the Crew Club in Whitehawk, organises ten-week Entry to Employment courses in digital music.

He said: "It is rewarding to see the progress they make. The young people may have low self-esteem to begin with but by week ten they're different people.

"We not only teach the music, we look at the local job market, run CV classes and work on building up their confidence.

"Everybody from the last course we ran is now either working or on another training course."

Councillor Vanessa Brown, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said the reduction was due to education, health and social care programmes being integrated.

The services are now all administered by Brighton and Hove s Children and Young People's Trust (CYPT).

Coun Brown said: "It's been a big team effort and the CYPT has been at the forefront of it.

"The combination of voluntary and public sector employees is making a difference.

"Even with the current economic situation, more young people are in training.

"This means when the jobs do become available these people are ready to work."

The fall in Brighton and Hove's figure comes a week after official figures revealed record high numbers of Neets nationally.

Across the country more than 850,000 people aged between 18 and 24 were not engaged in any useful activity in December 2008.

But there has been no rise locally.

East Sussex County Council confirmed the percentage of Neets aged 16 to 18 has remained static during the past year.

The Learning and Skills Council last night said there were no figures available for West Sussex County Council.