Cuts add up to 70% jobless rise

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A string of small-scale job losses has added up to a 70% rise in jobless figures in a rural part of Scotland over the last year.

In December 2007 there were 815 people claiming unemployment benefit in the Borders, last month there were 1,388.

The figures do not include nearly 100 job losses announced in the town of Hawick at the start of this year.

MP Michael Moore called it "one of the worst weeks for the Borders economy that we have seen in a long time".

Unlike large cities or more industrial areas, the unemployment rise has not come with the huge figures announced by some firms.

WHERE THE CUTS HAVE HIT (JOBS AFFECTED IN BRACKETS) Emtelle, Hawick (35)Slumberdown, Hawick (35)DHL, Galashiels (19)HM Revenue, two sites (30)Riverside Spinning, Selkirk (21)Border Weaving Co, Selkirk (31)Hawick Knitwear (36)Pringle of Scotland, Hawick (80)Mainetti, Jedburgh (55)Peri-dent, Tweedbank (60)Barbours, Tweedbank (46)

However, its effects have been just as keenly felt.

The town of Hawick has a population of about 14,000 - so 100 job cuts is a significant number.

It would be the equivalent of something like 4,400 redundancies in Glasgow, 3,300 in Edinburgh or 1,400 in Aberdeen.

The situation in the town and across the whole of the Borders is of intense concern.

Councillor Stuart Marshall raised the issue along with other colleagues from Hawick at Scottish Borders Council this week.

"The real issue is about getting employment into Hawick very swiftly," he said.

"We need to move as quickly as we can to regenerate parts of Hawick."

Finance Secretary John Swinney visited the area last month to see the situation for himself.

He promised that he would do his "level best" to help the region.

However, since his visit a number of further job losses have been confirmed.

Revenue offices in Galashiels and Hawick are facing closure

The cuts have affected almost every business sector including car dealers, construction firms, telecoms companies and parcel deliveries.

There have also been some heavy blows to the traditional textile trade with posts lost at Pringle of Scotland, Hawick Cashmere and Hawick Knitwear.

However, the fall of the pound against the euro has been greeted with some relief in that particular sector.

It is hoped that export sales will improve in the weeks ahead as the comparative cost of Scots goods begins to tumble.

Other proposals which could bring jobs to the area include supermarket proposals in Kelso and Hawick.

Last month plans were also approved for a £50m golf hotel development, which promises about 300 jobs near West Linton.

The message from south east Scotland, however, is pretty clear - these potential jobs cannot come on stream soon enough.