Capital job seekers are hit hardest

THE number of young people who are being left out of work for more than six months has increased at a faster rate in Edinburgh than all but two other Scottish councils.

West Lothian Council has seen the biggest increase, with the total number of 18-24 year olds out of work for six months or more rising by 121 per cent to 475 in June 2010.

Edinburgh saw a 116.7 per cent rise, to 715, with only West Lothian and South Ayrshire suffering a greater rise.

The figures were compiled by the Scottish Trades Union Congress, which said they were "depressing".

STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said: "These depressing figures confirm that the outlook for the thousands of young people in Scotland currently looking for work is increasingly bleak.

"Previous investment in employment schemes helped to keep many thousands of young people off benefits.

"But having made an early decision to scrap the 1.2 billion Future Jobs Fund, the government has yet to announce similarly well-funded support to get people back into decent paid work."