The number of people unemployed in the UK fell slightly last month, but is still near its highest in six years.

The unemployment level for the three months to October 2006 was 1.7m, said the Office for National Statistics. This is down 7,000 on the three months to July, but up 197,000 from a year earlier.

The unemployment rate remains unchanged at 5.5%.

The claimant count for November was 950,800, down 5,700 on the month but up 49,500 on a year earlier.