Revealed: More job vacancies than job seekers in the West Midlands

Birmingham is currently attracting record levels of investment which is leading to more employment opportunities
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West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has revealed that the number of job vacancies available in the region is now greater than the number of people looking for work.

The optimistic disclosure was made following the recent Birmingham Jobs Fair at Villa Park attended by more than 1,000 people looking for work.

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Sixty three employers also attended the event and 250 have already confirmed a job or training place just two weeks after it was held, with many more applications in the pipeline.

Latest government figures show that there were 102,600 people registered as unemployed in the West Midlands.

The data from Nomis, for July 2020 to June 2021, represents 5.5% of the population. This is higher than the current percentage for the UK which is 5%.

Andy Street said: “The Birmingham jobs fair proved that although our region was hit incredibly hard by the pandemic, there are still thousands of jobs available and eager people looking to fill them.

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“It is incredibly encouraging to hear how people walked away from Villa Park with a job offer in their hands, with nearly 200 now having secured a job or training place.

“This shows the power job fairs can have, and why I have made a commitment to hold one in every borough of the urban West Midlands as part of my 100k jobs plan.

“There are more vacancies than jobseekers currently in our region, and so I would encourage everyone who is looking for work or worried about their future to see what is out there for them – including upskilling and retraining opportunities funded by the WMCA.”

People helped to find employment and training by the West Midlands Kickstart ProgrammePeople helped to find employment and training by the West Midlands Kickstart Programme
People helped to find employment and training by the West Midlands Kickstart Programme

Which employers in Birmingham are looking for recruits?

Big name employers recruiting at Birmingham Jobs fair included:

Greggs

B&M

Getir (grocery app)

West Midlands Police and

NEC Group

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Most companies attending the event had at least 25 local vacancies to fill.

The jobs fair was co-organised by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Birmingham City Council with a wide range of partners including JobcentrePlus and the Aston Villa Foundation.

The NEC said they found the event extremely useful as they made contact with more than 40 potential candidates for employment.

Angela Walsh, Apprenticeship Co-ordinator at NEC Group, said: “Birmingham Jobs Fair was such a fantastic event - the whole atmosphere was great and it was a pleasure to be involved. We took details for more than 40 interested candidates across a variety of positions and have made contact with them to discuss the opportunities available.”

Birmingham Jobs FairBirmingham Jobs Fair
Birmingham Jobs Fair

What does the future look like for jobseekers in Birmingham? Will opportunities keep coming through?

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Birmingham is currently attracting record levels of investment which is leading to more employment opportunities coming through

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “It was fantastic to attend the Birmingham Jobs Fair and meet employers and job seekers from across the city. The results so far are exceptional, which is testament to the skills and qualities of the people of Birmingham.

“The past two years have been incredibly tough, especially for young people, and an important part of our recovery will be connecting unemployed people with businesses looking to expand their teams.

“We’re successfully attracting record levels of investment to provide jobs and opportunities, and the Jobs Fair shows that the people of Birmingham can reap the rewards. The Council will continue to work hard to connect our citizens with the opportunities that are available in Birmingham.”

How do I find out about training and job opportunities funded by West Midlands Combined Authority

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To find out about upskilling and training opportunities with the West Midlands Combined Authority you can check out the Kickstart Your Career initiative here. You can follow the conversation on social on social media by following #WMKickstartJobs #Kickstart

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