New figures show seven areas in Cornwall as being among the biggest increases in unemployment rates in the country during the coronavirus crisis.
Data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed the increases in unemployment claimants between March and April.
Cornwall is placed eighth in a table of local authority areas with the biggest increases, with the Isles of Scilly topping the table.
However another table drilling the figures lower to settlements shows that towns in Cornwall are seeing bigger rises than almost anywhere else in the UK.
St Ives, Padstow, Flexbury, Perranporth, Newquay, Looe and Camelford all feature in the table of the ten towns with the highest increases in claimants.
Read next: Cornwall could need financial help for three years to recover coastal tourism
The figures are as follows:
St Ives – Claimant rate March 2020 2.5; Claimant rate April 2020 8.4; Percentage point increase March-April 5.9
Padstow – March 2.5, April 7.8; Change 5.3
Flexbury – March 4.4; April 9.6; Change 5.2
Perranporth – March 1.8; April 6.9; Change 5.1
Newquay – March 4.9; April 9.8; Change 4.9
Looe – March 3; April 8.6; Change 4.8
Camelford – March 3.9; April 8.6; Change 4.7
The Isles of Scilly has seen its claimant rate increase from just 0.7 per cent in March to 5.8 per cent in April.
Overall Cornwall has seen its claimant rate go from 2.7 per cent in March to 5.8 per cent.
Nine of the ten areas with the biggest increases in unemployment are local authority areas with coastal areas, which indicates the impact that Covid-19 has had on the tourism industry.
The figures are based on the number of working-age people who are receiving benefits to those who are unemployed.
They compare the rates on April 9 to those on March 12.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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 here