Unemployment in Mid Wales has hit the highest level for 10 years, figures revealed today. More than 2,100 people in Powys are claiming unemployment benefit.

The Office of National Statistics figures for February show 1,532 men and 574 women are out of work. The figure has risen by 252 in a month.

Geraint Morgan, Powys County Council research officer, said it was also nearly 800 up on the figures for February 2008.

The news comes less than a week after it was revealed Britain’s jobless figures had risen above two million for the first time in 12 years.

Mr Morgan said in a report: “There were 2,106 people claiming unemployment benefit in February 2009 in Powys, the highest count since February 1999.

“Powys claimant unemployment rate in February 2009 was 2.8 per cent, working out as 3.8 per cent among males and 1.6 per cent among females.”

In February, 86 jobs were lost at Floform in Welshpool, 50 went at Trelleborg Solutions and 30 at Control Techniques in Newtown.

Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik said: “These figures are extremely worrying and suggest the recession is hitting Welsh businesses and workers harder than anywhere else in the UK. The Government must take urgent action to kickstart the economy.”

The figures show Llandrindod Wells has the highest unemployment rate in the county at 6.5 per cent, while Llanidloes has the lowest at 1.4 per cent.

Councillor Sarah Millington, Powys county councillor for the area, said: “The people of Llandrindod Wells are hard workers and this has come as a blow for the town.”