Dole queues double in commuter land

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The claimant count jumped by 132 per cent in North Swindon last year, 122 per cent in Buckingham, 114 per cent in East Surrey and North West Hampshire, as well as 106 per cent in Mole Valley, the area around Leatherhead.

In Mid-Sussex, it went up by 111 per cent, Crawley 108 per cent, Fareham 105 per cent, Salisbury and Surrey Heath 104 per cent, and Wealden and South West Surrey 101 per cent.

The number of people signing on also increased by 92 per cent in Esher and Walton, 90 per cent in Runnymede & Weybridge, 88 per cent in Epsom and Ewell, as well as Reigate.

There were rises of about 80 per cent in Brentwood and Ongar, Woking, Sevenoaks, Hitchin & Harpenden, Maidenhead, Bexleyheath and Crayford,

New shadow London minister Justine Greening said: "These figures show how the recession is hitting commuter land with widespread job losses in the City. Statements by employment minister Tony McNulty that there is light at the end of the tunnel is hollow rhetoric for people who have just lost their job."

Ministers have pledged people will be offered help in finding work.

The figures also show that 20 out of 25 of the constituencies with the smallest percentage rise in the claimant count are in the capital, with Tottenham being the lowest with an annual increase of three per cent.

Unemployment jumped to 1.92 million between September and November, up 131,000 from the previous three months and the highest level for 11 years.

Since the turn of the year tens of thousands more people have been told they will lose their job. The number of people claiming the dole rose 77,900 to 1.16 million last month.