Unemployment in Hartlepool is on the increase - but JobCentre chiefs say there IS work out there

The latest employmemt figures have been released

There were 3,955 people receiving out-of-work benefits - including Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit - in the town in January, a rise of 70 on December.

There were 2,095 claimants in Easington, up by 210; 1,410 in Sedgefield , a rise of 55, and 2,310 in Stockton North, up by 65.

Across the North East, employment stands at 1,219,000 or 72% - a fall of 15,000 over the quarter but an increase of 25,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 75.2% nationally.

North East unemployment stands at 69,000 or 5.3% - a fall of 3,000 over the quarter and 21,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 4.4% nationally.

The claimant count is 54,200 or 4.4% in the North East. The national claimant count rate is 2.3%.

Lauren Keegan, from Hartlepool JobCentre, said: “We have got a lot of vacancies at the moment.

“Careline Lifestyle are recruiting for a new care facility that is opening and we have set up a pre-employment routeway to make sure people are properly trained for the work.

“Kerry Foods are recruiting for production roles in Hartlepool and in Peterlee we have Start Energy, who have announced they intend to recruit over 60 people in the coming year for what will mainly be apprenticeship roles.”

North East England Chamber of Commerce policy adviser Paul Carbert said: “The figures published this morning show a slight fall in employment in the North East over the previous quarter, but the region’s labour market is in a much healthier position than 12 months ago.

“The North East has seen the largest increase in the employment rate, and the largest fall in the unemployment rate, of any region since October to December 2016.

“We must continue to focus on creating the conditions for economic growth, and ensuring that the education and skills system is aligned with the needs of business.”

David Blair, managing director of BMC Recruitment Group, said: “The employment statistics show that real progress has been made over the past year. It is certainly reflective of what we have witnessed with regards to recruitment. Our client base includes a range of businesses from Plc to SMEs and we are increasingly seeing an increased demand for fresh talent.

“This demand is across multiple disciplines including finance, technology, sales and marketing and engineering.”