FIRST the good news: unemployment in York is down, especially among young people.

Now for the bad news: a report by the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns that, since 2008/9, an extra four million people across the country have slipped to the verge of poverty and are “only just about managing”.

What is going on? The JRF points to rising prices and static incomes. There’s also the whole issue of low paid jobs and zero hours contracts.

Unemployment may be falling. But many people are still struggling, and still faced with real uncertainty in their day-to-day lives.