Figures show rise in unemployment

UNEMPLOYMENT in Warwickshire has risen slightly, despite strong business confidence heading into 2018.

There was a small rise across the county in the month to December, with the claimant count going up from 4,320 to 4,380.

Between October and November last year the jobless figure fell.

That’s against a backdrop of a positive picture from businesses across the region, who were at their most buoyant in 2017 in the final three months of the year according to the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey with Warwickshire County Council.

Louise Bennett, Chamber chief executive, said: “It was a very small rise in unemployment and, having crept up slightly in the middle of 2017, it has remained quite flat.

“Business confidence is strong and there is certainly a need among many, many businesses across the patch to grow their workforce.

“Our members told us throughout last year that a skills shortage and a skills gap were two of fundamental issues that were making recruitment more difficult.

“This region is in a very strong position economically and, as more and more jobs are created, we must ensure that we have the people with the right level of skills to fill those posts and that business has enough available space to house them.”