Unemployment in Sussex has reached a 20 year low as the South East's economy continues to boom.

The number of people out of work continues to fall monthly while the labour market expands.

The latest Labour Force Survey published today shows a fall in the number of people out of work in the county's main three travel to work areas, centred on Brighton, Hastings and Worthing.

It mirrors the national trend, which has seen the number out of work and claiming benefit drop to 1,035,300, a fall of 16,400 on last month.

It is predicted the total will drop below the politically sensitive figure of one million before Christmas.

The figures nationally and locally are the best for 20 years. Unemployment has been over a million since October 1975.

There are 8,154 people out of work and claiming benefit in Brighton, 1,184 in Worthing and 2,701 in Hastings.

That represents a drop of 1,690 in Brighton, 538 in Hastings and 402 in Worthing over 12 months to the middle of September.

In Brighton and Hove there were 6, 916 people out of work and claiming benefit in the middle of September.

In Eastbourne the figure was 1,181 and there were 1,930 in Hastings, 942 in Lewes, 670 in Chichester, 751 in Crawley, 565 in Horsham and 771 in Worthing.

Nationally, the increase in average earnings in the year to August was 3.9 per cent, with earnings in the private sector rising faster at 4.1%.