Scots long-term jobless level rising fastest

About 26,000 people in Scotland will spend their second consecutive Christmas on the dole this year, according to a study. The TUC said research showed the number of people out of work for at least 12 months was rising faster in Scotland than in any other region of the UK. Eight out of the 10 UK local authority areas with the largest increases in long-term unemployment are in Scotland. The STUC urged all levels of government to work to boost the jobs market. The number of Scots spending Christmas on the dole has soared by almost a third to 26,270, compared with last year's figure of 20,470. A person is officially long-term unemployed if they have claimed jobseeker's allowance for more than a year. 'Shocking statistics' The long-term claimant number in Scotland has risen 170% since 2007 when 9,745 people were out of work for more than a year, according to the data analysis from the Trades Union Congress. Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, said the figures reflected a "crisis" in the Scottish labour market. He said: "Following last week's ONS (Office for National Statistics) release which confirmed that the Scottish unemployment rate is now higher than the rest of the UK, we now learn that long-term unemployment is rising faster in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK. "It is totally unacceptable that over 26,000 Scots are facing at least their second Christmas on the dole. "The STUC will next week publish figures to suggest that even these shocking statistics underplay the extent of the crisis. It is absolutely essential that government at all levels redoubles its efforts to boost jobs and growth in the New Year." He added: "Another 12 months of complacency will leave Scotland with a legacy of persistent, structural unemployment with all its associated human, social and financial costs."