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Economy outperforms expectations

Last month saw the first decrease in registered unemployment in the Isle of Man during August since 2006.

The total went down by 51 to 771, which means there are over 200 fewer people on the register than there were this time last year.

Welcomng the news, Treasury Minister Anne Craine said it would be wrong to pay too much attention to one month's figures, but the trend in unemployment was most definitely downward.

During the present, difficult economic times, her department has a target helping to keep the Island's unemployment rate below 3.5 per cent during 2010.

And so far the economy is outperforming expectations, with the rate standing at 1.8 per cent.

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