Jobless figures soar for region's young

Almost 52,000 young people are now out of work in the West Midlands – costing taxpayers more than £2.6 million a week in benefits, new figures reveal.

In Walsall, youth unemployment has soared by 68 per cent in the past year, the highest rise in the Black Country. Sandwell has seen a rise of 50 per cent over the same period, with an extra 1,850 18 to 24-year-olds now claiming Jobseekers Allowance. More than one in 10 Wolverhampton young people are claiming the benefit, at a cost of almost £160k a week.

A surge of more than 800 claimaints in the past 12 months now means that 14 per cent of the city's youngsters are receiving the allowance.

Stafford's figure has also more than doubled from 300 in 2008 to 700 this year, while Dudley has seen an increase of 1,000 in the past year, meaning more than one in 10 young people in the borough are now claiming unemployment benefit.

The numbers have come from the Office for National Statistics.

The news comes as it was revealed 25 per cent of West Midlands workers have had their pay cut since the start of the economic downturn. Twelve per cent have also experienced a reduction in hours, while 20 per cent have lost benefits.

A report on the figures published in conjunction with The Prince's Trust predicts they are set to rise further, with young people from deprived areas the hardest hit.

Kathy Williams, regional director for The Prince's Trust in the West Midlands, said: "Our region's most vulnerable youngsters will be permanently damaged by the downturn, unless they receive the support they need."

Across all age groups, 246,000 people are out of work in the West Midlands – the worst level in the UK.

A total of 11,000 people are on the dole in Wolverhampton, 10,365 in Dudley, 12,607 in Sandwell and 10,739 in Walsall. In South Staffordshire, the level is 2,216; in Cannock, 3,425; Lichfield, 2,152; and Stafford 2,452.

Nationwide, there are more than 2.2 million out of work.