The worst affected cities are in the North of England, the Midlands and Scotland with manufacturing and industrial centres being disproportionately affected.
The worst affected cities are Birmingham (reporting an increase of 12,383 from February 2008 to February 2009), Leeds (reporting an increase of 8,930 claimants), Glasgow, Sheffield, Kingston upon Hull, Manchester, Bradford, Kirklees, Liverpool and Bristol.
But The Work Foundation shows the sharpest increase in the number of people claiming jobseekers allowance was in Wear Valley and Blaenau Gwent in Wales - each reporting a 3.3% increase in the number of claimants between February 2008 and February 2009.
Naomi Clayton, senior researcher at The Work Foundation, said: "Places in the eye of the storm as job losses mount are the UK's core cities and areas associated with traditional manufacturing - places which in many cases had yet to recover fully from previous recessions before this one set in.
"In terms of absolute numbers, it is the core cities of the North and Midlands that are worst hit. Perhaps more revealing, though, are the areas that have seen the sharpest upward movements in unemployment rates. These tell a story of a more traditional UK recession: some areas which had yet to experience the economic prosperity enjoyed by others are once more showing how vulnerable they are to downturns, especially if dependent on single employers.
"Policymakers ignore how recessions play out locally at their peril. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming budget focuses much more attention on the large cities - Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham - that can drive the recovery, as well as recognising which areas need the most support to survive and prepare for better times."
Job losses worse in the North, Midlands and Scotland than in London
Cities other than London have suffered worse job losses than the capital, according to research from The Work Foundation.
