West Midlands sees a dip in unemployment total
A SLIGHT improvement in the unemployment picture has been given a cautious welcome by West Midlands business leaders.
Figures released yesterday show the number of people out of work in Birmingham dropped from 49,767 in May to 49,294 in June and the pattern was much the same across the region. In the West Midlands as a whole, the claimant count figure fell from 164,526 in May to 162,407 in June and the region’s unemployment rate is now 8.6% against a national average of 8.1%.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group (BCCG) welcomed the news but warned against complacency. It called on the government to make it easier for companies to increase their workforce by providing the opportunities for the unemployed to gain the right skills.
Michael Ward, president of Birmingham Chamber, said: “26% of service firms reported that they expected their workforce to increase in the three months from quarter two and recruitment in manufacturing also remains robust with 24% reporting that they expect to recruit. But many find applicants don’t even have basic English skills.
“There is a complex programme of youth contracts, city deals, a work programme and work experience schemes and it is no wonder that employers and potential employees are confused about how to help people back into work.
“To grow employment further, the business community needs help to recruit more easily and access a skilled workforce. The Chamber is urging the government to find a way to simplify the routes into the multitude of initiatives and to provide real financial incentives to encourage participation in them.”
Birmingham figures showed 10.7 per cent of the economically active are claiming JSA. And in the West Midlands the claimant count figure fell from 164,526 in May to 162,407 in June.
The fall in unemployment in Coventry and Warwickshire has been welcomed by Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
She said: “This is positive news and certainly bears out what we have seen in recent economic surveys carried out with our members.
“There may also be an Olympic factor in these figures as there has certainly been an increase in the number of jobs surrounding the Games in recent months.
“While we have to remember that the economy is still some way off returning to the kind of growth required, this does show that there are firms out there who are doing well and want to grow.”
