Published: Thursday, 22nd January, 2009 9:00am

Hundreds more need dole handouts

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HUNDREDS more people are being handed out the dole according to the latest monthly jobless figures.

The normally steady numbers show that across Reading, Wokingham, West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire council areas a total of 622 more people were claiming benefit on December 11 than on November 13.

The number follows an increase of 701 people across the same four areas the previous month. A breakdown shows the current numbers claiming are:

l Reading - 2,482 (2.6% of the workforce) a rise of 150

l West Berkshire - 1,314 (1.4%), a rise of 212

l Wokingham Borough - 1,118 (1.1%), a rise of 134

l South Oxfordshire - 959 (1.2%), a rise of 126

For years the jobless figures in the Reading area barely changed from month to month. Now numbers are rising sharply. Claire Prosser, policy executive from Thames Valley Chamber, said it urged employers to keep people on where possible because they may find they have to re-employ them in six months' time.

She said: "We are concerned these figures have gone up because we are the economic powerhouse of the UK, so if we are experiencing this then it is a concern." But she said the area's employment situation was still faring much better than the national picture. What is needed, she said, is for banks to start lending again.

Labour's Reading West MP Martin Salter said the upward curve should be viewed in the context of other areas. He added: "There is no doubt the global credit crunch is starting to bite into the local economy. Every job lost is a tragedy but at least in this recession the Government is trying to help people, rather than walk away from them as they did in the early 1990s."

But Rob Wilson, his Conservative counterpart in Reading East, said this is only the beginning and he warned the underlying issues were not being dealt with.

He added: "It appears what the Government is doing is making things worse. Whilst there is a worldwide problem it is much worse in the UK as the IMF report out this week confirmed."