As we enter the New Year many of us may be looking to set New Year’s resolutions whether that be getting healthier, learning a new skill or looking for a new job.
Many people look for new employment in January and many, some who decided to leave the workforce after Covid (and many did), may potentially wish to return. Not only given the context of rising living costs but also the social aspects of work which can help keep us engaged and healthier for longer.
At the end of last year, there were a record 1.2 million vacancies in the UK labour market. This number is more than there are unemployed people who might be able to fill them.
In the Horsham constituency we are particularly fortunate to have relatively low unemployment figures with only 1.9% of the population aged 16-64 claiming unemployment related benefits.
Whilst it is great that our statistics are so low, I regularly meet local businesses, organisations and charities across all different sectors who report the difficulty they face in finding employees to fill roles.
Across the country there are 9 million people who have not recently looked for work; more than one in five people of working age. This includes those who have taken early retirement, are long-term sick or disabled or those who have caring responsibilities.
Whilst work will not be the right route for many of these 9 million people, 1.7 million of them have said that they want a job. Supporting these 1.7 million back in to work can really help their own sense of fulfilment and boost the country’s economic growth.
At the end of last year, the Government launched a drive to support those aged 50 and over to find employment. This included establishing a network of dedicated 50 PLUS champions to help older workers into work across England, Scotland and Wales.
The DWP also introduced the Jobcentre Mid-Life MOT service, locally we have a very dedicated team at Job Centre Plus who are always pleased to discuss the support on offer – and help businesses attract the new talent they need.
