Jobless numbers fall in Peterborough as employers seek to recruit staff
Jobless-related benefit claimant numbers have fallen in Peterborough as employers look to fill hundreds of vacancies.
Newly released figures show there are currently more than 400 vacancies available across Peterborough that are being promoted by the city’s Jobcentre through its Find a Job service.
A Jobcentre spokesperson said the vacancies are in a variety of sectors including healthcare, various office-based roles and warehousing.
And the sheer number of vacancies is driving a fall in the number of adults claiming Universal Credit across Peterborough.
Details just released by the Department of Work and Pensions show the overall number of claimants last month fell by three per cent to 7,565 people compared to the same month last year.
And the number of people aged 50 and above claiming Universal Credit dropped by two per cent in June to 1,535 compared to the same month last year.
Lynne Clarke, Partnership Manager for Peterborough Jobcentre, said: “It is really positive to see these numbers falling.
"There is a very healthy number of jobs vacancies available.
"And we want to work with employers to help fill their vacancies.
"Our Jobcentre is open for recruitment events tailored to individual employers, and we regularly host jobs fairs that bring multiple businesses together under one roof.
"We can also organise work academies and boot camps to help prepare candidates for various roles.”
She added: “We’d encourage jobseekers to explore the opportunities currently available through our Find a Job service.”
The growing trend for Peterborough employers to recruit extra staff in the face of tough trading conditions, is underlined by Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce’s just-released Quarterly Economic Survey.
It states that more companies tried to recruit over the period April to June this year than in the previous three months.
However, the report also warned of challenges actually finding people to take up the roles.
The report stated: "Although more firms tried to recruit in April to June, 73 per cent of those recruiting experienced difficulties, up from 67 per cent in the first part of the year.
“Recruitment remains a challenge for many local employers."
Charlotte Horobin, the chamber’s chief executive, said: “Business confidence remains fragile into this quarter, and many firms are operating in an increasingly difficult environment where rising labour costs, higher taxation and growing overheads are steadily eroding profitability.”