The unemployment rate reached 0.8% in July, down from 1% the year before, as more than 240 long-term unemployed return to work.

There are now just 698 jobless claimants in West Berkshire, from over 1000 two years ago, when Vodafone, Quantel and Bayer all made job cuts.

The local figures reflect trends across the region, with the Andover area at 0.7% and Basingstoke borough on 0.9%. Reading is on 1.9% and has almost three times as many jobless as West Berkshire, but across the royal county there are still more jobs than people.

Economists at Experian said last week that the Thames Valley would outperform every other UK region in the next 10 years, creating massive wealth and jobs, and also putting further pressure on housing and roads.