UNEMPLOYMENT in the traditionally better-off south of Croydon is climbing in step with the rest of the borough, according to Government statistics released last week.

The number of Jobseekers' Allowance claimants from Coulsdon, Purley and Kenley has jumped over the past three months to an average of 2.5 per cent.

Purley had the highest percentage of claimants, with 3.1 per cent of residents signing on in September, compared to 2.9 per cent in June.

Jobseekers have more than doubled in each ward since 2004, as the recession ravages the country.

Councillor Steve O'Connell, who represents Kenley, said that one of the factors spurring joblessness in the area is its high number of people who are City commuters.

"We have got to remember that a lot of people in Purley and Kenley work in the financial world, which has been really badly hit," he said.

Jobseekers streaming out of the job centre in Purley this week spoke of their growing frustrations with a market that is as "dead as a dodo".

Adrian Dedin, 45, of Coulsdon, has been looking for work as a builder for the past year-and-a-half.

He said: "It is very hard. As soon as jobs are offered they are snapped up.

"It used to be easier to find work but over the last few years it has become very difficult."

John Bull, 57, of Purley, has been out of work since his last job as a packer in a warehouse more than a year ago.

He said: "There are hardly any jobs to apply for and too many people turn up for interviews each week. The market is dead as a dodo.

"I can live at an acceptable standard, but it is very hard to pay the electric bills and things like that.

"Sometimes I feel depressed about it but I have to keep going."

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions noted that some of the rise in jobseekers' claimants may reflect people moving from lone parent benefits, which have become more restricted.

The number of 18 to 24-year-olds signing on from the four wards has also risen sharply, from 195 in June to 270 in September.

Luke Hanniford, 19, of Purley said he was disillusioned with his prospects since leaving school. "I have been looking for work in retail for months," he said. "I thought life would be easier than this."

The number of people claiming jobseekers allowance in 2011

Coulsdon East:

June: 189 (2.6 per cent)

September: 205 (2.9 per cent)

Coulsdon West:

June: 165 (2 per cent)

September: 190 (2.3 per cent)

Kenley:

June: 240 (2.7 per cent)

September: 265 (3 per cent)

Purley:

June: 254 (2.9 per cent)

September: 275 (3.1 per cent)

Croydon

June: (4.4 per cent)

September: (4.8 per cent)

Great Britain:

June: (3.7 per cent)

September: (3.9 per cent)