THE Government has hailed new figures showing the number of households where no-one is in work has fallen by 600,000 since 2010.

The figure has dropped from just under 3.9 million between October to December 2010 to around 3.3 million in the same quarter last year.

Ministers said the latest figure was the lowest in a decade, adding that 372,000 fewer children were living in a household where no-one has a job.

Other data from the Office for National Statistics showed that the number of households where no-one has ever worked is down by 30,000 over the same period, to 323,000.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: "The primary aim of our welfare reforms has been to support everyone who is able to work into jobs.

"To give people the skills as well as the opportunities to be part of the economic recovery. And we've seen remarkable success - with an average of 1,000 more people in work for every single day that this government has been in power.

"In total, 1.9 million more people with the self-esteem and financial security that a job brings.

"Today's figures reveal that the number of workless households has fallen by over 600,000 under this Government.

"Most significantly, there are 272,000 fewer households living in social housing without work, and the proportion in social housing where someone does now work with a breadwinner and a role model, is the highest since records began.

"Behind these figures are countless stories of hard work and determination. By sticking to our long-term economic plan our welfare reforms are transforming the lives of some of the poorest families in our communities."