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THE BRUTAL impact of the oil crash has been laid bare in a hard-hitting report on the troubled north-east economy.

A soaring number of benefit claimants, plummeting hotel ­occupancy and a downturn in new businesses have all been linked to the oil and gas crisis by independent researchers.

Their report is the first in-depth parliamentary study of the effect of the fall in oil prices on the region.

Oil was trading at more than $100 a barrel before the 2014 referendum but has plummeted to around $30.

The Scottish Parliament ­Information Centre (Spice) report – prepared for MSPs – shows the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits has rocketed by 92 per cent in Aberdeenshire in just one year and by 69 per cent in the Granite City itself.

Both council areas are heavily dependent on the offshore industry for jobs.

The report estimates 10,000 posts have been shed by oil and gas firms since prices fell.

Unions say the figure is far higher when the wider economic impact of supply chains and supported jobs is taken into account.

The report also shows business start-ups fell by 12 per cent in ­Aberdeen and eight per cent in Aberdeenshire in a year. The national trend shows a 10 per cent increase.

The previously buoyant hotel trade is also suffering. Research shows almost half the available hotel rooms in the city were unused in December – the 15th consecutive year-on-year losses.

Unusually, the report looks at planning applications as well as house sales. It found applications to expand or improve housing – a key indication of wealth – were 20 per cent lower in January than at the same time last year.

The annual change in residential property sales in the north-east has been negative for the past 18 months, in contrast to Scotland as a whole, where it has been positive for the last nine months.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale was in Aberdeen to meet business leaders on the day the report was published at Holyrood.

Dugdale, who was born in the city, said: “The analysis produced by the independent experts at the Scottish Parliament paints a stark picture of the devastating toll the oil price crash has taken on the area.

“Despite that, there can still be a bright future for the industry and for the north-east as a whole. With the right ­government support, investment can return and jobs can be saved.”

Tommy Campbell, regional officer at offshore workers’ union Unite, said: “These are sobering statistics revealing to the rest of the country exactly what we have been ­highlighting here in Aberdeen over the past year.

“It’s a snapshot of how intrinsic North Sea oil and gas is to Aberdeen because from business start-ups to hospitality and retail, every aspect of the north-east economy and labour market has been hammered by the oil price slump.”

Campbell called for the UK Government to step in to encourage exploration and production to stop a “prolonged depression”.

The Tories said the SNP ­Government in ­Edinburgh have also got to step up efforts to support jobs and industry.

North-east Tory Alex Johnstone said: “These findings only go to show what would have happened if Scotland had made the mistake of sleep-walking into ­independence.”

SNP Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “The UK Government retain the key economic levers 9.595 affecting the sector, which is why we have called for urgent action in the forthcoming UK budget to reduce the overall tax burden in the industry and save jobs.

“The Scottish Government will do all they can to support the sector through our devolved powers during the ­downturn.”

The Scottish Government have announced a £12million training fund for sacked oil workers and £379million of investment for ­infrastructure in the region.

But for those caught in the eye of the storm, yesterday’s SPICE report is merely catching up with the crisis engulfing the north-east.

Stewart Spence, owner of the five-star Marcliffe Hotel and Spa, said his customers tell him that a recovery is “a long way off”.

He said: “I’ve been telling everyone to batten down the hatches for four or five years. I've had to make 15 people redundant for the first time in my life.”

Former oil worker Mechelle Clark – who was made ­redundant twice in 15 months – is bucking the trend by opening up a sandwich shop, Melt, in Aberdeen next week.

Mechelle, 33 said: “By March last year you could have put this report out. Because I was recruiting, I could see what was happening.”

Professor of petroleum accounting at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University Alex Russell said he wasn’t surprised by the report.

He said: “If anything it probably underestimates the impact I am witnessing on a daily basis.

“I think we need innovative ideas to move out of oil, if necessary, and make sure we can bring back the good times.”