Concerns over city’s unemployed

While our recent pay trends mini survey revealed some positive news about Peterborough and its businesses, the latest statistics regarding unemployment in the area have resulted in concerns being raised.

A total of 6,710 people are currently unemployed, making up for 5.6% of the local population. It is only a slight increase from the figures released this time last year, but one that reflects poorly on the city in comparison to the rest of the region.

Lincoln, Cambridge, Northampton, Grantham and Stamford all reported figures that were more representative of the national rate, which currently stands at 3.9%.

A number of local organisations were contacted to comment on the news, including ACR. Recruitment partner Nel Woolcott spoke with BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on our behalf, talking candidly about why the figures were so high.

Much of the discussion focused on the impact of seasonal roles, many of which will have recently come to an end following the busy Christmas period, as well as the recent influx of people without jobs moving into the area.

We can certainly relate – having had a busy start to the year – but we still have a variety of job roles currently available and have even identified some skills gaps in the market.

In short, we still have something to be confident about in spite of these disheartening statistics. We know that Peterborough is a job creating city, with a 17% increase in the number of new companies being set up within the last 12 months.

We’ll be keeping cautiously optimistic as we continue to work with clients and candidates alike towards a much-anticipated boost in the city’s economy.

Positive end to 2012 with record fall in unemployment

It might be clichéd to say, but figures released this week from the Office for National Statistics are sure to bring good tidings to job seekers this Christmas, with the greatest quarterly fall in jobless figures since 2001.

A promising piece of news at last; largely due to a steady improvement in the jobs market over the past three months, as well as an overall increase in employer confidence.

The data is certainly encouraging for businesses, reflected in a slow but sure narrowing of the gap between employer demand and supply both nationally and locally. Recent reports show that there are now more positions than candidates available in the IT sector, which is something that we have experienced first hand here at ACR. Last month, we launched a recruitment drive in response to record rises in the number of IT roles available locally, holding a dedicated open day at our offices to identify suitable candidates with the right skills.

Also relevant to our own work in Peterborough was the statement made by the REC’s chief executive Kevin Green, who stressed the importance of temporary and part-time workers in contributing to the recent economic development. To echo this, I - along with the rest of the team - have always recognised the need for flexible working hours for both clients and candidates. This is why we have staff dedicated solely to temporary and interim placements, with demand continuing to grow.

As 2013 approaches, we’ll be working harder than ever to support and contribute to this growth locally. We certainly believe the overall findings of the latest national figures are reflected here in Peterborough and hope the positivity generated helps push the local economy forward into the New Year and beyond.

Jobless figures up but hope on the horizon

The good news is that opportunities in the job market do exist but, being at the front line, we know they’re not particularly easy for job seekers to find, or secure.
The latest rise in unemployment reflects this.

Figures, covering the three months until November 2011, show an increase of 118,000 in the number of people out of work. The jobless total, according to the Office of National Statistics, now stands at 2.68 million.

While the private sector has continued to create new jobs it is not in sufficient numbers to compensate for the 67,000 shed by the public sector. So the scales don’t balance. As I said, the opportunities do exist but not in the quantities necessary to reverse the upward trend.

The outlook may appear gloomy but we have noticed some sectors bucking the trend. And, according to news from the industry body Recruitment and Employment Confederation, we’re not the only ones.

There is strong demand in IT, for office professionals and in engineering and surveys reveal encouraging signs in terms of hiring strategies for the coming months.
Around 40,000 permanent positions each month are being filled by recruitment agencies – which does prove we’re working hard for our candidates!

Of course, I’m realistic. The job market is tough at the moment. And the general thinking is that it will continue to get worse before stabilising later in the year.
In the meantime, we are doing what we can to help lessen the impact of the difficult economic times on both clients and candidates.

Unemployment figures

The number of people working in the UK has jumped by the largest amount in more than two decades. Unemployment now stands at 2.46 million.

But in an interesting twist the figures show the rise in employment was lead by a record number of part-timers and people aged over 65 remaining in work.

That ties in with our experience.

The number of opportunities has increased – certainly since this time last year – which is good news. But many employers are remaining cautious and preferring to take on temporary or contract staff. Often the thinking is that, if all goes well, the person will be offered a permanent contract but, for the moment, they’re reluctant to make a wholesale commitment.

And, from the other side, we’re finding that candidates winning at interview are the ones who are flexible and happy to consider temporary or contract opportunities – rather than the ones holding out for full time permanent positions.

While these kind of roles don’t offer long – or even medium – term security they can be a valuable stepping stone and a way back into the workplace and we often advise candidates to seriously consider them.

The other thing we advise is a positive approach – in fact, you might have seen me saying just that on the Anglia Television news bulletins on Wednesday. However frustrating it is answering the same questions for the 20th time you have to approach each interview as if it’s your first – but with the benefit of having done dress rehearsals!

Anglia approached us to talk about the employment situation in Peterborough – something we like to think we know quite a lot about! One of our candidates was interviewed on camera too, talking about the difficulties of finding the right kind of work.

You can watch the full report by clicking here.