Unemployment up across all London boroughs

New figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics show that unemployment rates have risen in all 32 London boroughs, as well as the City of London.

The official London unemployment rate rose from 6.9% in March 2008 to 8.2% in March this year - much higher than the national average of 7.1%.

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit stood at 209,354 in March compared to 129,983 a year before - a rise of more than 80,000. Some areas - including Havering, Bromley and Richmond-upon-Thames - have seen their unemployment benefit claimant rates more than double.

The number of people out of work in the UK rose 244,000 to 2.22 million in the first three months of 2009, the ONS said earlier this week. The quarterly rises in the jobless rate and number were the biggest since 1981.

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