UNEMPLOYMENT has soared to a 12-year high of more than 2.2 million after a record number of people lost their jobs in recent months, gloomy new figures showed today.

The jobless total increased by 232,000 in the three months to April to reach 2.26 million, the worst figure since the end of 1996.

The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance increased by 39,300 in May to 1.54 million, the highest total since the summer of 1997.

The so-called claimant count has now increased for 15 months in a row.

Other figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that youth unemployment has reached its worst level since 1994 after a 74,000 increase in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work to 695,000.

Long term unemployment, counting those out of work for more than a year, increased by 54,000 in the latest quarter to a 10-year high of 515,000.

Meanwhile, the number of people in work fell by 271,000 over the three months to 29.11 million, the biggest quarterly slump since comparable records began in 1971.

In the Tees Valley the number of people out of work has climbed by more than 350 in the last month.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed the jobless total in the Tees Valley rose by 359 to 24,344 last month.

Local rates are Darlington 3,160 (5.2%); Hartlepool 3,754 (6.7%); Middlesbrough 6,237 (7.2%); Redcar and Cleveland 4,982 (6%) and Stockton 6,211 (5.2%).

John Cridland, CBI Deputy director-general, said: "The numbers of jobless are continuing to rise and we’re clearly not through the worst yet. Sadly, the CBI expects these figures to continue to rise and peak at 3 million in the spring of 2010.

"Making job cuts is the last thing that businesses want to do, and the government must do everything it can to help firms keep people in their jobs, as well as giving advice, training and support to those who have become unemployed."