THE Isle of Man had a 10 percent drop in unemployment during the year 2010 and is reducing its employment rate much quicker than the Channel islands of Jersey and Guernsey.

The year-on-year figure for the Isle of Man has shown an overall decrease of 83 to stand at 795 (1.9 percent unemployment rate). The number of vacant job positions held at the Job Centre at the end of December stood at 142.

The Isle of Man’s improvement in unemployment statistics compares favourably with Jersey and Guernsey. Jersey’s official government figures show that the island had 1,210 people out of work at the end of December - an increase of 90 on the previous year. Jersey’s population is 88,000.

In Guernsey the statistics for the year 2010 won’t be available until March, but the most recent figures - up to the end of September - show that unemployment on the island had changed by only 4  to the previous year, standing at 444 (440 in 2009). Guernsey’s population at the last census was 65,726 (2008).

Although the Guernsey figures are the lowest of the three jurisdictions, the trend is static whereas the Isle of Man is showing the best rate of improvement. 32,499 in work.

The Isle of Man’s last census in 2006 showed a population of 80,058.