Unemployment figures released by the Office for National Statistics have risen again in Mid Wales, leaving them at the highest level for more than 12 years.

The figures show that 2,189 people were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in April in Powys – up from 2,178 in March.

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Montgomeryshire Glyn Davies said he feared the situation was likely to get worse before it gets better.

He said: “I am not surprised at these figures as all the discussions I am having with local businesses seem to revolve around losing staff and what the companies can do to try and avoid it, but it is hard for them.

“The bad thing is sadly I feel things may only get worse around here before they can get any better.”

Geraint Morgan, Powys County Council research officer, said in a report that the latest figures were the highest since February 1997. It says: “Powys claimant unemployment rate in March 2009 was 2.9 per cent.”

The area has been hard hit by a number of large companies laying people off since the start of the year.

Welshpool car components firm FloForm made 80 people redundant in February, 50 jobs went at Trelleborg Solutions in Newtown and 30 at the town’s Control Techniques factory.

The figures also showed the number of unemployed nationally went up by 244,000 between January and March to 2,215,000.

In Shropshire and Mid Wales, numbers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by 176 to 12,319. There are 5,191 claimants in Shropshire, up from 5,122. In Telford & Wrekin, numbers rose from 4,843 to 4,939.