New jobs coming on stream as signs point to recovery

There has been more good news with unemployment in the latest Office for National Statistics figures which show a fall in the wider West Midlands.

It stood at 163,000 for the three months to February with numbers claiming unemployment benefits, including Universal Credit, also falling back last month in most areas.

Wolverhampton was one area which saw a rise in claimants with the city's claimant rate at 10.7 per cent – the second highest rate in the region behind Birmingham. Neighbouring Walsall and South Staffordshre also saw small rises.

Job vacancies however surged last month as businesses prepared to reopen after lockdown.

The jobs boom has continued into April with jobs website CV-Library reporting postings of vacancies rising by 5,280 in the West Midlands last week.

Progress

The number of job postings nationally was at the highest level since January last year and up 18.2 per cent on the previous week.

The leader of the Conservative group on Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Wendy Thompson, said: “It’s incredibly disappointing to see Wolverhampton’s unemployment rate continue to remain so high above the national average.

"Of particular concern are the ongoing high rates in parts of the city which are around two-and-a-half times the national average. As we progress along the Government’s unlocking road map it is essential that the council steps up and does everything in its power to tackle this problem head on.”

Wolverhampton South East Labour MP Pat McFadden said there had been a slight rise in unemployment in his constituency even as the national figure has levelled out. Over the past year it had risen very sharply.

"We went into the pandemic with higher than average unemployment and now the claimant count is about 11.5 per cent – almost twice the national average. We have to get more people into work or the long term consequence of the pandemic could be higher unemployment locally.”