Unemployment in the South West fell by 13,000 in the three months to September, official figures have revealed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that a total of 129,000 people were unemployed in the region between July and September.

The region's unemployment rate was 4.7% and saw a fall of 9.2% during the period. The worst area in the UK was the South East which recorded a 9,000 increase in the number of people without a job.

A record number of people are in work after another huge fall in unemployment, new figures have shown.

The jobless total fell by 115,000 in the quarter to September to 1.96 million, the lowest figure since the start of the year.

The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance was 931,700 in October, 20,400 down on September, and the 24th consecutive monthly cut.

Employment increased by 112,000 in the latest quarter to 30.7 million, the highest since records began in 1971, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported.

The number of non-UK nationals working in this country increased by 230,000 over the past year to 2.9 million, while the figure for UK nationals went up by 445,000 to almost 28 million.

Pay, including bonuses, was 1% higher than a year ago and excluding bonuses went up by 1.3%, the first time the figure was above CPI inflation for five years.

The 1% average earnings figure is 0.3% higher than last month.

Around 14.7% of workers, or 4.5 million, are self-employed, down by 88,000 on the quarter but up by 279,000 on a year ago, while the number of part-time workers wanting a full-time job remained at around 1.3 million.

There were just over nine million people classed as economically inactive, including students, long-term sick or those who have given up looking for work, 38,000 more than between April and June.

Employment Minister Esther McVey said: "Record numbers of people in work means more people with the security of a regular wage who are better able to support themselves and their families.

"With the vast majority of the rise in employment over the last year being full-time, it's clear that thanks to the Government's long-term economic plan, we are helping businesses to create the jobs that people need.

"More young people are getting their foot on the career ladder and we've seen record falls in female unemployment, so as the economy continues to grow, more and more people are having their lives transformed by moving into work."

The Government pointed out there are more than half a million fewer unemployed people than there were a year ago with schemes such as the Work Programme contributing to the biggest annual fall in long-term unemployment in 16 years - down by 206,000.

The number of people claiming the main unemployment benefit - jobseeker's allowance - has also been falling every month for the last two years and is now more than half a million lower than May 2010.

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, said: "Many of the new jobs are precarious and badly paid while the real value of take-home pay for the rest of the workforce is 13% below pre-recession levels.

"Although 898,000 workers have left public sector employment since 2010, the deficit is still £100 billion because this increased economic activity is not generating more income from taxes.

"The Tory recipe to get a recovery in pay and income from taxes is even more savage cuts in public spending and public sector jobs."

Ian Burke, director of totaljobs.com, said: "As the UK economy continues to grow and create new jobs, it's crucial that everyone benefits from its success. Although unemployment continues to fall, many employers struggle to fill roles because some jobseekers do not have the right skills.

"It's vital that, as we lead into the general election next year, both Government and employers work together to ensure that employees in the workplace and new entrants into the labour market have the skills demanded by today's economy."