The number of people claiming jobseekers allowance in Caerphilly County Borough has risen by 4.6% in a month, according to the latest Government figures.
As of July 2011, there are 5,553 claiments compared with 5,308 in June – a rise of 245, or 4.6%.
As a percentage of the working population, the claimant count now stands at 5%.
Across Wales, unemployment has risen by 10,000, taking the total to 122,000 – 8.4% of the working population, the highest of the home nations.
Claimant count across Wales has risen by 2,100 in the past month with 77,000 claiming jobseekers.
Wayne David, Labour MP for Caerphilly, said the increase in unemployment in Caerphilly was “extremely worrying”.
He said: “This is evidence that the economic recovery has come to a halt. The Tory-led Government’s economic policy is in ruins – there must be a plan B.
“The private sector is still extremely weak and the public sector is experiencing enormous strains.”
This is a huge rise, but does not surprise me. I never did believe the talk of the country "emerging from recession". The austerity measures are still working through the system, with further consequences for the economy.
The price of all fuels is getting higher, the banks are still in a parlous situation, the crisis affecting the Euro will affect us all, our oil and gas are running out, and, to cap it all, sucessive governments have wilfully destroyed manufacturing industry. The Bombardier affair is but the latest example. My prognosis, for the Welsh economy in particular, is not good.