A third of England still has twice as many jobseekers as there are vacancies, according to new research commissioned by the LGA – despite the unemployment rate reaching its lowest level for more than 50 years.
By contrast, in two-fifths of the country, there are more vacancies than there are unemployed people, making it harder for employers to fill job vacancies, holding back employment growth and potentially contributing to rising prices and inflation.
The analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies, using real-time vacancy data from Adzuna, is included in the LGA’s refreshed Work Local publication.
This sets out how more targeted support, coordinated by councils and combined authorities, is needed to match employers with jobseekers, engage those who have left the jobs market, and ensure sufficient skills training is in place to meet demand.
The LGA says this would also help to reduce the growing cost of living crisis and encourage more people into work.
Coastal areas and post-industrial regions are hardest hit by lower participation and fewer vacancies, while the southern half of the country is more likely to have higher participation and high vacancies, so is well placed to build on its pre-pandemic strengths.
The wide variation within regions and not just between them proves why locally led solutions are needed to fix our national employment and skills challenges, according to the LGA.
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board, said: “The Government’s ‘one size fits all’ national approach to employment and skills is no longer fit for purpose.
“Levelling up should mean adapting support to local needs, making it more personalised and joined-up for people seeking work, while recognising the wide variations not just between different parts of the country, but also within them.”