The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said almost 28 million people were now employed in Britain, an all-time high.

The figures for November also suggested the number of jobseekers claiming benefits had dropped to the lowest level since 1975.

However, the government's Labour Force Survey (LFS) showed an ongoing rise in the number of people out of work but not claiming benefits.

Part-time help

The ONS figures said the so-called "claimant count" for people collecting unemployment benefits fell by 6,200 in November, to its lowest level since September 1975.

The big picture remains that the labour market is still tight but that growth in earnings is still very benign David Page, Investec Bank

The jobless rate remained unchanged at 3.1%.

The ONS also suggested 27.8 million Britons were now in work, thanks largely to an increase of 110,000 part-time workers.

However, the number of full-time workers fell by 5,000 and the government's LFS also suggested unemployment was actually on a rising trend.

Average earnings dipped accordingly, down 3.7% in the year to October.

Falling trend

The LFS showed unemployment rose to 1.53 million in the three months to October, an increase of 19,000.

"This measure has been showing an upward trend for months," said an economist, raising fears that the number of people claiming benefits could also be on the rise in the coming months.

The manufacturing industry has continued to experience the brunt of the gloom, with 161,000 jobs cut in the three months to October.

The biggest losses came in the electrical and optical equipment sectors.

"The big picture remains that the labour market is still tight but that growth in earnings is still very benign," said David Page at Investec Bank.