Long-term youth unemployment across the district has almost doubled since the start of the year, with Keighley being the blackspot for struggling youngsters.

Official figures show in January 660 people aged between 18 to 24 across the district had been out of work for more than six months, increasing to 1,250 in September.

A breakdown reveals the number of young people claiming long-term out of work benefits in Bradford West has soared by 124 per cent to 370, by 77 per cent to 230 in Bradford South and by 55 per cent to 340 in Bradford East. In Shipley there was an 86 per cent rise to 130, but the biggest increase was in Keighley by 140 per cent to 180.

Labour said the figures were fresh evidence that the coalition Government’s harsh cuts programme was threatening to create a “lost generation”.

A Labour-led Commons debate yesterday claimed economic policies are “hurting but not working”.

Shadow Pensions Secretary Liam Byrne said: “It is now clear that, in communities all over Britain, youth unemployment is reaching crisis levels.

“Most alarming of all is the dramatic rise in the number of young people on the dole long term. The longer someone is out of work, the harder it is to get them back into work.

“When communities are seeing long-term youth unemployment rise by more than 100 per cent since the election, we know the Government has got to change course – and fast.”

David Cameron insisted his Government was doing “everything we can” to help people get back into work.

He told MPs: “Obviously, we face a difficult situation with unemployment, including among young people, right across the country. That is why there is record investment going into apprenticeships and the Work Programme.”

Keighley Conservative MP Kris Hopkins said: “I will take no lectures on youth employment from Labour, which left one-in-five young people unable to find a job.

“It is vital that the younger generation have the chance of work. For this to happen, we need to reduce the deficit, achieve economic stability and create high-quality, sustainable jobs.

“We also need to improve skills levels, and I continue to talk to businesses across the constituency to find out what particular skills they require to allow more jobs to be created locally, and feed back to ministers.

“Extra Government investment has led to a huge rise in the number of apprenticeships available, which serve as a very important step on the ladder to full-time, permanent employment.

Across the country, total youth unemployment stands at 991,000, about one in five 18 to 24-year-olds – and the highest figure since the statistic was first recorded.