The rise in unemployment among young people across Gloucestershire outstripped the increase in total number of job seekers over the last three months according to the latest data.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions showed the Alternative Claimant Count - which only includes benefit claims for Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit conditional on searching for work - had risen by 314 in Gloucestershire since the last figures were released for July.

But the figure for those aged 18-24 rose by 463.

In all, 19,632 are receiving unemployment-related benefits in Gloucestershire - a rise of 11,935 on 12 months ago.

For 18-24 year olds, the figure has risen by 2,433 in the last 12 months to 3,679 claimants.

The biggest single rise over the last three months was in the Gloucester City Council area with 171 more claimants, taking the total to 5,183 - up 2,914 over the last 12 months.

The figures included 63 aged 18-24, taking the number to 1,001 (up 585 over the last 12 months).

In Cheltenham, 150 new claimants took the total to 3,997 (up 2,507 in the last year) with 91 more 18-24 year olds taking the total to 743 (a rise of 490 over the year).

There were 72 additional claimants in Stroud, taking the total to 3,089 - a rise of 2,026 since this time last year.

The bulk of the latest rise was among young people with 64 new claimants aged 18-24 taking that total to 561, up 414 in the last 12 months.

Gloucestershire's remaining three council areas saw the overall number of claimants drop slightly, although all saw a rise in those aged 18-24.

Tewkesbury's total fell by 12 to 2,482 (up 1,543 in the last year), but young claimants soared by 177 to 443 - a jump of 303 in the past year.

The biggest overall drop came in the Cotswolds with the number of claimants down by 40 at 2,267 (up 1,498 since 2019) but up by 30 among 18-24 year olds to 417 (up 320 in a year).

And in the Forest of Dean, the total dropped 27 to 2,614 (up 1,447 in a year) with 38 more young claimants taking that figure to 514 (up 321 in 12 months).

Across the South West, the number of employed people is at 2.71 million with the Alternative Claimant Count at 186,254 - up 111,745 in the last year.

Additional data from HMRC's Real Time Information system puts the level of payroll employment at 2.368 million - up 6,000 over the last three months but down 51,000 on last year.