The number of people registered as unemployed in the Isle of Man has dropped by 272 in a year.

January’s figure, released by the government today, stands at 601.

But during the first month of 2017 188 people signed on to the register and 166 signed off.

So there were 22 more people out of work from a month ago.

Nevertheless, the unemployment rate remains the envy of most of the world. It stands at 1.3 per cent of the economically active population.

To put that in context in the UK it’s 4.8 per cent. In France it’s 10 per cent; USA 4.7 per cent; Germany 3.9 per cent; Greece 23 per cent.

During January 859 jobs vacancies were notified to the island’s Job Centre. At the end of the month 554 remained.

Of those 80 per cent were for full-time jobs.

There’s a mismatch in skills among the unemployed and the vacanies.

The building trade remains in the doldrums. There are 61 people with a background in construction looking for a job.

But there are 55 vacancies in the e-gaming industry and there are 99 vacancies in health and medical services.

The statistics include people who are not getting jobseeker’s allowance but who are still registered.

They number 27.