Today’s labour market figures show real wages falling for the seventh month in a row, says the South West TUC.

Average weekly pay rose by 2.2% less than rising prices leaving a fall in real terms of .5%. Unemployment in the region has risen very slightly at 0.1% to 3.6%.

Weekly pay in Cornwall at £359.50 is well below the UK average at £448.6 – a fall in real terms of £1,299 a year and getting worse based on today’s figures, said regional secretary Nigel Costley.