UNEMPLOYMENT in the region has gone up by 3,000 in the quarter, according to figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics.
The jobless count stood at 35,000 in the three months to March, up from 32,000 in the three months to February.
The North-East's 6.8 per cent unemployment rate is still the highest of all region's outside London.
The number of people in employment across the region stood at 1,161,000 in the quarter, up 8,000 on last year but down 2,000 on figures for December to February.
Nationally, unemployment climbed to 1.7 million, the worst figure since last autumn and up by 101,000 over the year, while the number of people in work stood at 28.98 million, up 93,000 over the year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article