14,000 added to jobless total in three months; Wales' rise biggest of any UK region.

Byline: TOM BODDEN

UNEMPLOYMENT in Wales rose by 14,000 in three months to 125,000, the latest figures revealed yesterday. The increase was the biggest of any nation or region in the UK for the second successive quarter, eclipsing slight falls during the summer which briefly bucked the UK trend.

The Welsh jobless total represents 8.7%, a rise of 1% of the workforce compared to the UK's 2.46m, up 0.1% to 7.8%. Welsh ministers were 'encouraged' that the monthly increase in the claimant count level in Wales continued to slow. "During the early stages of the global downturn, the claimant count was rising by around 4,000 per month - tailing off to around 1,000 per month during the summer," a WAG spokesman said. "Today's rise of 300 - the smallest increase since the start of the recession - is an indication that the recession could be bottoming out, although we are not at all complacent andwill continue to fight for every job and to maintain the skills of our workforce."

Last month's figures showed a loss of 24,000 jobs in the quarter to August. The Tories said the sharp increases dealt a blow to the Assembly Government's attempts to combat the recession. Shadow Welsh secretary Cheryl Gillan said: "In the last year 600 jobs a week have been lost in Wales. And in the last quarter almost half of all UK jobs lost have been in Wales. "That's why Labour needs to take up our plans to Get BritainWorking as a matter of urgency, providing more support for young people and creating thousands more apprenticeships and training places to prevent a generation being written off because of Gordon Brown's recession." Welsh Lib Dem economy spokesperson Jenny Randerson said: "What is even more concerning for me is that all the data is beginning to show a trend of harsh and nasty unemployment among young people. "We are at increasing risk of losing a generation to unemployment, poor health and resulting social problems," she added.

"These are problems which will continue long after the recession comes to an end, and the Government's cuts to the FE and HE budgets will make this situation worse." The UK youth unemployment rate has reached a record high of almost 20%. The Government expects further rises in unemployment next year. Ministers said that most of the increase in 16 to 24-year-old unemployment was accounted for by a 14,000 rise in the number of full-time students who say they are looking for work. Work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The figures show more people in work and a lot more young people taking up our offer of full-time education and training, which is welcome news. "But we know things are still tough for a lot of families." [e-mail]