Vacancies at Peterborough employers increases as city's jobless rate rises above national figure

​The number of jobs vacancies in Peterborough rose by 200 over the last month, according to new figures.

​Data released by the Department of Work and Pensions shows that the number of vacancies it has been asked to fill now stands at 706 in Peterborough with many of the career openings in the social care sector.

However, the surge in job vacancies comes as the city’s unemployment rate – the percentage of people out of work compared to the number able to work – rose above the national rate.

Julia Nix, district manager for East Anglia Jobcentre Plus said: “The number of vacancies in Peterborough that we have been asked to fill rose by 200 over the last month.

“There are vacancies in engineering, teaching and nursing but the greatest number by far is in social care.

"There could be a number of reasons for that around the way the sector is perceived, pay and hours but it is a really strong career choice, it is highly skilled with many rewarding opportunities.”

Details of the number of vacancies were released along with new figures that show a hike in the number of out of work people in Peterborough who are actively seeking employment.

That figure now stands at 6,945 people, which is an unemployment rate for the local authority area of 4.7 per cent, which is slightly higher than the national unemployment rate which is 4.3 per cent.

The figures also show that the number of people in Peterborough who are claiming Universal Credit has risen by 13 per cent over the year from 6,230 in November last year to 7,070 last month – an increase of 840 people.

The number of people aged 18 to 24-years-old claiming Universal Credit rose by 17 per cent over the same period from 1,080 to 1,260 – up 180 people.

The number of people aged 50 and above receiving Universal Credit went up by eight per cent from 1,280 to 1,385 - an increase of 105 people.

Mrs Nix said the reason for much of the increase in Universal Credit claims was due to a change in legislation which means people in work but earning below the administrative earnings threshold of £494 a month are now included in the figures.

She said: “The aim is to help in a cost of living crisis and we encourage people to increase their income by improving their qualifications, finding a new job or being encouraged to ask their employer for extra hours or improved pay.