The number of people in East Lancashire claiming Job Seeker's Allowance has risen 426 in just one month.

The total on JSA in the area in August stood at 13,062, 1,505 more than this time 12 months ago, the Office for National Statistics figures released today show.

Across the country, the jobless rate has risen to 2.51 million, while the number on JSA has reached 1.58 million.

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "Clearly, the figures are disappointing.

"They underline the scale of the challenge we face at the moment, particularly given slow growth in Europe and in North America."

Employment minister Chris Grayling said the rise reflected “challenging” times.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said: "This is a day of misery on Britain's jobs front.

"Today we have the clearest and starkest evidence yet that the Government's plan for growth is hurting, not helping, Britain.

"Our unemployment is now climbing faster than the eurozone, Japan and America and we are now losing three times more jobs than we are creating."

GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny blamed the Government’s spending cuts for worsening the jobs market and recovery.

He said: “These figures confirm that the recovery that was underway from the banker’s recession has stalled as a direct result of slamming on the spending brakes.

“Osborne, Cameron, Clegg and Cable are responsible for hundreds of thousands of workers now being without jobs.

"The Marie Antoinette impression from them has got to stop.

"An emergency budget for investment in jobs is overdue.”

Think-tank IPPR warned that the UK faces a "long and difficult" path back to full employment, with up to two million jobs needed to be created to return to pre-recession levels.

Borough by borough

Blackburn with Darwen: up 137 to 4,341, the highest figure since May 2009.

Burnley: up 49 to 2,595, the highest total since January 2010.

Hyndburn: up 53 to 1,960, the highest total since March 2010.

Pendle: up 62 to 2,076, the highest total since February 2010.

Ribble Valley: up 41 to 520, the highest total since April 2010.

Rossendale: up 84 to 1,570, the highest total since February 2010.