BLAENAU Gwent has the highest rate of unemployment in the UK, the latest figures show.

A report published by social research charity The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) yesterday said more people in Blaenau Gwent are claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) than anywhere else in the UK.

The report, which also revealed 45 percent of unemployed people in Wales were under 25, said the number of people claiming JSA had doubled in Wales in the past 12 months to March 2009.

Report co-author Peter Kenway from the New Policy Institute, said Wales was at risk of having a generation lacking experience, qualifications and self-belief if the situation continued in Wales.

A spokeswoman from Blaenau Gwent council said one of the reasons for the increase in unemployment in the area in the last year was down to a number of people losing their jobs when local car parts factories such as Northern Automotive in Gilwern, Abergavenny, which employed a lot of people from Blaenau Gwent, closed.

She said the council was working with businesses to tackle the impact of the recession.

She said: "Our Connect 2 Business initiative is bringing together private sector firms who want the message to go out that the Blaenau Gwent economy is resilient and adapting to the changed economic situation.

"We are also continuing to get The Works regeneration site ready for future investment schemes.

These include the Learning Campus - a 21st century centre for education and training that will augment to the successful skills training programme run by the council to help local people to retrain, improve their skills and make the most of new employment opportunities.”