THE evidence of Britain’s gradual economic recovery has been there for some time now. But the latest unemployment figures reveal once again how fragile and uncertain that recovery remains.

In York, Selby, Ryedale and East Yorkshire, the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance actually rose slightly in January.

True, you expect that at this time of year, due to what City of York Council leader James Alexander calls “seasonal fluctuations”. Tourism is big business in York – but tourists tend not to visit in significant numbers in winter.

However, the January unemployment figures in York are better than those of January a year ago, or those of any January since 2008, which suggests the long-term trend is still encouraging.

Yet still the figures are a warning that we cannot afford to be complacent.

Nationally, the number of people out of work in the UK fell by 125,000 in the three months to December, to 2.34 million people or 7.2 per cent of the workforce. Yet even here the Office for National Statistics has warned that the improvement in the labour market could be slowing.

And while average earnings across the UK rose by 1.1 per cent last year, that was still some way below inflation – so even those in work continued to get poorer.

Nevertheless, despite these fluctuating statistics, the overall picture looks more positive. These latest figures are just a warning to George Osborne and Co that now is not the time to be patting themselves on the back.

There is a great deal of work to be done before the recovery begins to look really robust and sustainable – and before the ordinary man in the street notices a real improvement.