ONE in two firms will probably have "died" within three years of being set up, a report claimed today. Very few show signs of persistent employment expansion, according to research by the Employment Policy Institute.

The report was published before today's official unemployment figures, which could dip below 2 million for the first time since early 1991. October's total fell by 40,800 to 2,030,000 and analysts believe it will be lower than 2 million by the end of the year.