THE number of unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds has leapt by nearly 60 per cent in the past year, shock figures reveal today.

The figures show the number of young people in the region claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance has increased to 27,000 – a jump of 58 per cent – costing the taxpayer more than £1.3m a week.

The data, from the Office for National Statistics, is contained in a report published today by youth charity The Prince’s Trust.

It shows that claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance cost the state £1,375,650 a week in the North-East alone.

And there was further bleak news yesterday for young people in a survey of businesses by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Of the 500 companies asked, only one in five said they planned to take on 16-yearolds leaving school in the next few months.

A third said they had cut the number of universityleavers they had taken on so far this year, and 45 per cent said they were not planning to recruit from either group in the coming months.

The Prince’s Trust has offered a stark warning that the region’s poorest youngsters could be the hardest hit by the recession.

David Beavis, North-East director for the charity, said: “Our region’s most vulnerable youngsters will be permanently damaged by the downturn, unless they receive the support they need.”

Alan Milburn, MP for Darlington, who leads a Government taskforce to get more young people into professions, said: “I am concerned in the rise in claimants.

“This is one of the reasons why the Prime Minister has asked me to look at opening up professions not traditionally available to everybody.

“We want to give people of all ages and of all walks of life a chance to get into medicine, perhaps, the Army or dentistry.”

Development agency One North East has also moved to counteract the devastating effects of the recession on the North-East job market by launching a number of initiatives aimed at young people.

The If We Can, You Can challenge, supported by The Northern Echo, aims to encourage the entrepreneurial talents of under-25s by offering incentives to good business ideas.

The agency is also bringing business leaders closer to the region’s 14 to 19-year-olds as part of a scheme launched three weeks ago to encourage business to employ young local people.

A spokesman for One North East said: “One North East and its partners are working hard to improve opportunities for young people to enter the world of work and demonstrate their talents.”

Professor Cathy Pharoah, co-director of the Cass Business School’s Centre for Giving and Philanthropy, which co-published The Prince’s Trust report, said: “There are already 40,000 disadvantaged young people in the North- East who are in need of our support and this will only increase unless we help young people into jobs.

“Only with their ideas and creativity will we be able to pull ourselves out of the recession.”

The report, which reveals animal welfare charities receive five times more donations than charities helping young people, also warns youth charities struggle to attract funding from the public despite their “immeasurable value”.

Calls to The Prince’s Trust helpline at the start of this year increased more than 50 per cent compared with the same period last year.

In an effort to stimulate the regional job market for young people, The Prince’s Trust will next month launch the Million Makers fundraising challenge.

The scheme will see businesses from across the North- East raising money for the charity by setting up their own mini-enterprises.

Each team is given a startup grant of £1,500 and is challenged to turn it into £10,000.

To sign up to the Million Makers scheme contact Chris Grey at The Prince’s Trust on 07538-578-598 or email chris.gray@princes trust.org.uk