New figures show decline in number of vacancies among Peterborough employers

The number of vacancies with employers in Peterborough has fallen over the last month, according to new figures.

Data released by the Department of Work and Pensions shows that vacancies in Peterborough on its Findajob website have fallen to 641.

It is a drop of 111 jobs from the 752 vacancies that the DWP was seeking to fill in the previous month.

Across Cambridgeshire the number of vacancies dropped from 1,752 to 1,314 over the same period.

Stephen Lankester from East Anglia Jobcentre Plus, said: “We have seen a recent fall in vacancies in Peterborough.

"However, it is what we would expect to see at this time of year.

He said: “Many of the vacancies are in retail and logistics and are at entry level.

Mr Lankester added: “Our message to employers is that we can help you fill your vacancies, and jobcentre work coaches are playing an increasingly important role in helping them hire the right people.

“With vacancies in every sector, including hospitality and health care, we’ve been working closely with local businesses to find the right individual for their business.

“For jobseekers our work coaches are geared up to provide the right support to get them job ready, including access to training and voluntary work experience, which can act as a springboard to a new career.”

The drop in vacancies follows a prolonged period of increasing numbers of vacancies across companies in all sectors in Peterborough.

The new figures will fuel concern among business leaders in Peterborough after other data also revealed vacancies were not only falling but employers were struggling to find people with the right skills to fill them.

Charlotte Horobin, chief executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, told an Opportunity Peterborough meeting on Monday: “The number of vacancies available is down and yet eight out of 10 companies are still struggling to recruit the people with the right skills.

"We’ve had the flattest jobs market for 12 years and the number of job vacancies in Peterborough has fallen by 16 percent in six months.”

According to DWP data there were 8,165 Universal Credit claimants in Peterborough last month, up from 7,350 in the previous month – an 11 percent rate of increase.

Mr Lankester said the increase was mostly due to an ongoing changeover of claimants from various benefits to Universal Credit.