Competition for jobs is more fierce in Hackney than any other borough in London, according to data released by trade union Unison on Monday.

hey analysed research produced by Office for National Statistics (ONS) which shows there are nearly 21 Job Seeker Allowance (JSA) claimants chasing every job centre vacancy in the borough.

This is significantly higher than the UK average – which is just four – and second to only the Isle of Wight in terms of badly hit local authorities in the country.

Matthew Waterfall, branch secretary of Unison in Florfield Road, Hackney, said: “When we have a problem of this scale it’s worrying. The council can’t really do anything and the government are not doing anything to improve the situation in Hackney.

He added that it was mainly older people who are struggling to get jobs.

Anaylsis of the ONS figures show that 6,390 JSA claimants (65 per cent) looking for work are aged from 25 to 29.

The figures also showed that 1,740 JSA claimants (17 per cent) were aged 18 to 24.

Of these, 260 have been claiming JSA for more than 12 months and 525 have been claiming for more than six months.

Dermot Finch, regional director for The Prince’s Trust in London and the South East, said: “Too many young people in Hackney are struggling to find a job, feeling like the odds are stacked against them.

“At The Prince’s Trust, we are especially concerned about young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who find themselves pushed furthest from the job market.

“At our centre in Hackney, we run our Team and Fairbridge programmes to help these young people gain the skills and confidence they need to get into work and on the path to success.”

A DWP spokesman claimed the figures were misleading, saying: “The number of jobseekers in Hackney has dropped by 1,200 over the past year as we help people off benefits and into work and we’re working hard to get even more to find a job.

“This report ignores the fact that we have a record number of people in work and jobseekers in Hackney will be taking advantage of vacancies outside the borough as well.

“It also only ignores vacancies which aren’t advertised in Jobcentre Plus.”