THE North-East’s unemployment rate is at its highest since autumn 2009, figures show.

Between September and November last year, there were 120,000 people unemployed in the North-East, or 9.6 per cent. This was up 4,000 from 116,000 in the previous quarter of June to August.

The rate is calculated by taking the overall number of unemployed people and dividing that number by the available workforce.

The latest rate is at its highest since September to November 2009, when it hit 9.8 per cent, although there were more people out of work in that quarter – 125,000.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the region’s unemployment rate is, however, no longer the highest in the country, having been overtaken by the West Midlands (9.9 per cent).

In Yorkshire and Humber, the latest unemployment figure was 241,000, or 9.2 per cent, down 6,000 from 235,000 in the previous quarter.

Nationally, unemployment has reached 2.5 million, increasing quarter-on-quarter by 49,000.

A record number of young people are also out of work, with one in five 16 to 24-yearolds without a job after an increase of 32,000 in the quarter to November to 951,000, the highest figure since records began in 1992.

Long-term unemployment – those people out of work for more than a year – also rose by 15,000 to 836,000.

Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North and a member of the House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions, said the North-East figures were very disappointing.

He said: “The Government is cutting too far, too fast and is kicking away the foundations of an economic recovery for the North-East.

“It’s clear that this region is in for a tough time and will get very little assistance from this Government to create the jobs we need.”

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said: “These figures serve to underline the scale of the challenge we face.

“We inherited the largest budget deficit in peacetime history and high levels of worklessness, which we are determined to bring down by rebalancing the economy and supporting private sector jobs growth.”

Mr Grayling said more personalised support for jobseekers and the long-term unemployed was being offered through Jobcentre Plus.