The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance across Bradford is now nearly one per cent above the national average.

Monthly figures from the Office of National Statistics shows that the number jumped by more than 700 to 16,189, taking the district rate to 5.2 per cent, against a regional average of five per cent and a national level of 4.3 per cent.

But Bradford’s regeneration chief, Councillor Adrian Naylor, said the rise was mainly due to temporary Christmas staff being let go.

The district’s rate of increase in JSA claimants was lower than both the regional and national average as the number had risen at a rate of 4.9 per cent against a regional level of 5.2 per cent and a national figure of 5.6 per cent.

The increase in JSA claimant levels from January, 2009 until January, 2010 was 27.7per cent in Bradford; 28.2 per cent for Yorkshire & Humber and 29 per cent for the UK.

Coun Naylor said the Council was providing a wide range of initiatives and funding to help people find work, including apprenticeships, and also adding to the Government’s Future Jobs Fund.

He said: “The city’s rate of increase is lower than both the regional and national levels. This continues to show the resilience and diversity of the local economy”

A breakdown reveals 10,759 of the district’s claimants have been receiving the benefit for less than six months. And 1,900 people have been on JSA for more than a year.

The number of Bradford’s JSA claimants aged between 18 and 24 was 4,655, or 28.8 per cent.

Between October and December, 2009 unemployment across Yorkshire & Humber jumped by 11,000, or 9.1 per cent, to 240,000.

Nationally, the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance soared by 23,500 to reach the highest level since Labour came to power in 1997.

The claimant count increased to 1.64 million in January, the worst figure since April, 1997.

Long-term unemployment, covering those out of work for more than a year, increased by 37,000 in the quarter to December to 663,000, also the highest figure since 1997.

The number of people classed as economically inactive reached a record high of 8.08 million, more than 21 per cent of the working age population.

The figure covers students, people looking after a sick relative, or those who have given up looking for work, with records dating back to 1971.

Unemployment in the latest quarter fell by 3,000 to 2.46 million, giving a jobless rate of 7.8 per cent, unchanged from the previous three months.

e-mail: chris.holland @telegraphandargus.co.uk