RURAL jobseekers have been hit harder by the recession than those in urban towns and cities, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

Research has shown that although there are more people chasing every job in urban areas - nine for every vacancy - the number of jobseekers in the countryside has risen at a quicker rate.

There are now six people competing for every rural job vacancy - a rise of 287 per cent over the past year.

Councillor Margaret Eaton, chairman of the LGA, said the outlook for rural jobseekers was 'deeply worrying'.

She said: “Market towns and villages tend to much more reliant on the family-run independent businesses that can at particular risk of going under during tough financial times.

”The recession is affecting different parts of the country very differently and it is clear that a national, one size fits all approach to dealing with the recession simply isn’t going to work.

"The fastest way to move from recession to recovery is for more decisions about the economy to be taken at the local level, which means councils continuing to work with local people and businesses.”