THE number of people out of work across the city region rose by nearly 2,500 people in January – the highest level for nine months.

Official Government data published yesterday showed there were 52,812 people claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) across Merseyside and Halton last month. This compares with a peak of 58,200 reached a year ago, and a pre-recession base of below 35,000.

However, the official data at the local level aren’t seasonally adjusted and a spike this month, the first post-Christmas count, is common.

The year-on-year fall in the claimant count across Liverpool city region stood at 9.3%, which is its weakest level for several months.

The national figures, which are seasonally adjusted, offer support to a less-pessimistic view of the local rise. The UK showed an increase of just 0.2%, rising by 2,400 people to 1.46m.

The wider unemployment count – based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of unemployment which includes people who are not eligible to claim JSA – showed a rise of 44,000 in the three months to December, to just under 2.5m.

There was a jump in the number of vacancies to 500,000 across the country, the highest in two years, although this is boosted by more than 30,000 temporary jobs related to the forthcoming Census.

Work and Pensions Minister Chris Grayling said: “It’s been a difficult few months in the labour market, but things do now seem to be stabilising. The rise in the number of vacancies is particularly encouraging.”