Unemployment and number of claimants continue to fall in Shropshire

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there is "still no sign" that the closing of the furlough support scheme in September has affected the jobs market, with the number of UK workers on payrolls rising by 0.9 per cent between October and November to 29.4 million.

The unemployment rate fell once more, to 4.2 per cent in the three months to October, which is the lowest rate since spring 2020.

Meanwhile, the number of people out of work in the West Midlands – including Shropshire – also continues to fall.

The latest unemployment rate was 4.8 per cent with 140,000 out of work, down 1,000 from the previous three months.

The West Midlands also saw a drop in the numbers claiming unemployment benefits, including Universal Credit last month.

The total was down 7,280 to 207,985 – 5.7 per cent of the working population.

In Shropshire there were 210 fewer people claiming at 5,820, with Telford and Wrekin seeing a drop of 130 to 4,995 and Powys also experiencing fall of 30 to 2,220 claimants.

Ben Vaughan, Shropshire employer manager at Jobcentre Plus, said: “As 2021 comes to a close, Shropshire ends the year in a much stronger position in terms of the numbers of people unemployed and the number of advertised vacancies than might have been anticipated as the year started.

"Many of our key local industries still require boosts to their workforce however and sector focused skills bootcamps begin across Shropshire in January 2022 looking to initially support the HGV sector to train and recruitment more drivers.

"Jobcentre Plus is also partnering with the NHS and Marches Partnership to support delivery of the Strategic Development Fund beginning in January 2022 to increase the numbers of people entering the NHS workforce, alongside working closely with Skills for Care in Shropshire to begin regular recruitment events to support many of our local care providers."

Nationally, vacancies also jumped to another new record – up 184,700 to 1.2 million between September and November, but there were signs of the recruitment crisis easing as the ONS reported the first month-on-month fall since February.

Vacancies dropped 80,000 between October and November while the quarterly growth rate also eased, the data showed.

But it comes amid fears over the impact on the economy of the highly infectious Omicron variant of coronavirus and new restrictions to control Covid-19.

Darren Morgan, ONS director of economic statistics, said: "With still no sign of the end of the furlough scheme hitting the number of jobs, the total of employees on payroll continued to grow strongly in November, although it could include people recently made redundant but still working out their notice.

"The number on payroll is now above pre-pandemic levels right across the country.

"Separately, survey findings show much of the recent growth in employment has been among part-timers, who were particularly hard hit at the start of the pandemic.

"While job vacancies continue at record levels, the number is not growing as fast as it did earlier this year."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "The jobs outlook remains strong thanks to our £400 billion economic support package, Plan for Jobs and fantastic vaccine programme; the unemployment rate fell to 4.2 per cent, employee numbers grew at a record rate in November and redundancies are below pre-pandemic levels.

"To keep safeguarding our economic recovery and the lives and livelihoods of the British people, I am now calling on everyone to keep playing their part and Get Boosted Now."