Employment continues to rise across the East Midlands, figures show

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire continues to fall, according to figures released this morning by the Office for National Statistics.
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In September, there were 32,095 claimants across the three counties, 1,253 fewer than in August (33,348) and 11,029 fewer than in September 2014 (43,124).

The unemployment rate fell a further 0.2 per cent (from 4.8 per cent to 4.6 per cent) over the three months to the end of August, and employment rose 0.1 per cent (75 per cent to 75.1 per cent) over the same period.

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In Nottingham, the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance fell by 182, from 7,690 in August, to 7,508 in September. Compared with September 2014 the fall was 1,875 from 9,383. The number of claimants in Nottinghamshire fell by 403 to 7,665 in September from 8,068 in August and compared with September 2014 the fall was 2,924 from 9,959.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy for East Midlands Chamber said: “The figures released this morning reaffirm the strength of the East Midlands jobs market and that the region continues to drive the national economy.

“A small element of the improvement will be down to seasonal recruitment as the logistics and retail sectors, in particular, start preparing for the Christmas rush. We would expect to see this recruitment continue through the final quarter of the year.

“Strong employment does, however, bring its own issues and our members continue to report problems recruiting people with the skills they need. And many, particularly in leisure, retail, hospitality, logistics and some manufacturing sectors, have expressed concerns about the introduction of the National Living Wage next April which, they tell us, will make them adjust their recruitment plans.

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“We also need to be aware of what is happening in overseas markets, such as the slowing growth in the China economy. This ongoing turbulence has an inevitable impact on business confidence, which can influence investment plans and recruitment.

“Although today’s figures are, once again, very positive, now is not the time to be complacent.”