Yorkshire suffers fastest-rising unemployment in UK

Official figures released yesterday showed the region’s jobless total rose by another 25,000 to 266,000 in the three months to the end of June – meaning almost 10 per cent of Yorkshire’s available workforce is classed as unemployed.

The Government stressed the number of people who are in work in the region also rose, by 9,000, and hailed figures showing that across the UK unemployment fell by 46,000.

But Labour pointed out that most of that fall – 42,000 people – came in London, with the period covering the run up to the Olympics.

Rachel Reeves, Leeds West Labour MP and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: “The double-dip recession made in Downing Street is engulfing Yorkshire, and more than a quarter of a million people are paying the price. How many more months do we have to watch these figures climb and the void between Yorkshire and areas like London and the South East grow while this Government looks on and does nothing?”

Nationally, the latest fall in unemployment means the UK total is now 2.56 million, with the number of people in work having risen by 200,000 over the past three months.

Economists were scratching their heads as to how the employment figures rose with the economy mired in double-dip recession.

The Department for Work and Pensions said increasing numbers of people were being moved off benefits and into the labour market.

A spokesman said: “We’re working hard to reduce unemployment across the country.”