12 January 2017
Unemployment figures released today (12 January 2017) by the States of Jersey Statistics Unit show the number of people who were registered as actively seeking work (ASW) fell to the lowest level for six years in December 2016.
The overall number of those actively seeking work (ASW) in December was 1280; the lowest recorded since December 2010, 30 lower than the previous month, and 110 lower than December 2015.
This decrease was greatly helped by Social Security’s Back to Work programme - which recorded over 2000 job starts in 2016. 70 per cent of these job starts were in retail, hospitality, tourism, construction and finance.
Deputy Graham Truscott, Social Security Assistant Minister, said “I am delighted that the unemployment figures have continued to fall in 2016. This success is due to the hard work of the Back to Work team and the support of local businesses – particularly those who took advantage of the help that is available to them through Back to Work Recruitment.
“Our paid training incentives, offered through the year, have supported growth and helped a number of employers try candidates they may not have considered otherwise. For jobseekers, these incentives are vital opportunities to try something new and to learn new skills or refresh old ones. For many people, this also means becoming less reliant on Income Support and becoming more financially independent.”
In 2016, changes to Income Support legislation led to an additional 90 people being expected to look for work who had previously been excluded, plus around 130 parents registered as actively seeking work when their youngest child turned four and started nursery in September.
In 2017, the Back to Work team will continue to work closely with locally-qualified job seekers; helping them to find paid and sustainable employment by providing dedicated support and training in key skills.
For employers, Back to Work Recruitment acts in the same capacity as a recruitment agency to match jobseekers with an employer’s requirements, without the cost. The services available include: candidate search and selection, job trials, employment incentives, interviewing and feedback plus training and work placements.
Employers who have any vacancies should call Back to Work Recruitment on +44 (0) 1534 447411 or email Back to work.
gov.je