THREE in ten jobs in Keighley pay below the living wage, shocking new figures reveal.

And the number of workers under the £7.85-per-hour threshold has increased.

Official data from the House of Commons library shows that in the Keighley parliamentary constituency, which also includes Ilkley, 30 per cent of workers last year earned less than the living wage – up from 26 per cent in 2013.

Nationally, an average of one in five jobs pay below the level.

The figures have been condemned by the TUC, which on Friday staged a stall in Keighley town centre highlighting the issue.

Neil Foster, regional policy and campaigns officer, said there had been a strong response from the public.

"Many workers in Keighley are clearly struggling and suffering from poor pay and insecure jobs," he said.

"We met people worried sick at how they were going to cover their bills despite having a full-time job and how the cost of transport is squeezing low pay even further.

"The so-called recovery has yet to reach a lot of working people here.

"There was also anger that the Coalition government has voted through tax cuts for the wealthy."

John Grogan, Labour's Keighley parliamentary candidate, joined the campaigners.

"If there is one measure that could improve the lives of nearly a third of working people in Keighley it is the living wage," he said.

"Currently they are working a full week but are struggling to pay the bills at the end of the month."

The TUC's regional secretary, Bill Adams, said the living wage was a recognised standard of what people needed to be paid to meet life's basic essentials.

"Not only is it worrying that three in ten workers across the Keighley constituency are paid below it but it's bad news for the local economy too," he said.

"People need to have money in their pockets to boost local shops and businesses, but instead many are really struggling and experiencing debt despite bringing home a wage.

"The fact that the proportion of Keighley workers paid below the living wage has gone up in the last year suggests that this recovery is not being shared with most working people around here."

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins said he supported businesses which chose to pay the living wage, but that there must be a balance with the need to create more jobs and continue the economic recovery.

He added: "Wages are now rising at 2.1 per cent and, with inflation at just 0.3 per cent, more money is going into the pockets of hardworking people in Keighley.

"The Government has also raised the national minimum wage to £6.50, with a further increase due later this year.

"And we are bringing forward stronger measures to deal with companies that seek to exploit their staff by paying under the legal minimum hourly rate."