The Treasury minister says seasonal factors influenced the fall in unemployment in the Island last month.

New statistics from the Treasury’s Economic Affairs Division show there were 81 fewer people out of work in May than the previous month.

At the end of May the jobless total stood at 956, an unemployment rate of 2.1%.

Of those without work 688 were men and 268 women.

Treasury minister Eddie Teare says a seasonal increase in the need for staff in the hospitality industry largely accounts for the good news.

He says the bigger picture is still a concern, although the national insurance 'holiday' for employers is proving a trigger for some firms to take on extra staff: