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Unemployment increases in Bedford area

The unemployment figures for the South West rose by over 7% between August 2008 and October 2008.

The information from the Office for National Statistics showed that over 115,000 people are now out of work as opposed to 107,000 in August - an increase of eight thousand.

Nationwide, statistics show the number of people unemployed to be 1.86 million (up from 1.74 million) -
the highest they have been for more than 10 years. Unemployment benefit claim statistics show over a million claimants, the first time in eight years, after a large increase in signing on.

Those long term unemployed (out of work for more than a year), increased by 7,000 to nearly 440,000 in the last quarter, while the number of 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed rose by 55,000 to 597,000. 180,000 people were made redundant in the last quarter, up 41,000 on the previous quarter and up 49,000 for the year.

These unhealthy figures were further compounded by a drop in job vacancies, down by almost 50,000 in the last quarter to just over 560,000, One of the lowest totals on record.

TUC general secretary said: "These figures show the awful human cost of the financial crash feeding through into the real economy.

"The Government's number one priority must now be on getting these people back to work and ensuring they do not face financial devastation while on the dole. If ever there was a sign that we need a fundamentally different economic approach in the UK, this is it."

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Unemployment increases in Bedford area

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