Unemployment drops in West Mids
The West Midlands is no longer the UK's unemployment capital, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Business leaders have described a 1 per cent increase in employment levels as "better than expected".
Nine-and-a-half per cent of the West Midlands workforce is out of work - second highest only to the North East. Unemployment in the region is down by 4,000 to 255,000.
Christine Braddock, president of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: "The latest figures show that total vacancies have increased by 580, but many chamber members just cannot find personnel with the skills required. While the latest quarterly economic survey by the chamber pictures a downward trajectory for manufacturing, chamber member TRW Conekt in Solihull quotes a lack of engineers to fill its rising vacancies."
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, agreed that the "positive" figures were welcome news for the region.
She said: "The overall unemployment figures are more positive than expected and we want to see this trend continue in the coming months. The private sector has been asked to create new jobs while there is a very mixed outlook for the economy.
"Some are clearly creating jobs and there are reasons to be positive but business must be given more freedom to take on new staff and grow."
