Unemployment Up In Yorkshire

That means the number of people now out of a job in the region stands at 270,000, with almost 10% of people not working in the region.

It's a 10% increase on last year.

And the number of women out of a job in the region rose by 9,000 - with 105,000 unemployed according to stats out today.

Nationally unemployment reached a 17 year high after a 118,000 increase in the jobless total, which saw a record number of young people out of work.

The figure jumped to 2.68 million in the three months to November, the worst since the summer of 1994, giving the UK a jobless rate of 8.4%.

The number of unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds increased by 52,000 over the quarter to 1.04 million, the highest since records began in 1992.

Other figures showed that almost a million working days were lost in November as a result of the public sector pensions strike, the highest figure since 1989.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling says the overall level of unemployment is, and will remain, a major concern for the Government.

In a statement he said:
"The latest figures reflect the current challenging economic climate but also show more women entering the workforce and more students looking to supplement their income through work.

When you take into account our welfare reforms, the number of jobseeker allowance claimants has actually fallen.

Despite the exceptionally difficult economic circumstances, finding work for the unemployed will remain top of the Government's agenda.''

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said:
"There are parts of the country in such despair that more than a quarter of households with people of working age have no one in work.

The number one political priority has to be securing a reduction in unemployment.''