Unemployment figures continue to plummet in Plymouth and across the South West with companies struggling to fill vacancies as they wrestle with the impact of the pandemic, staff absences and rising wages.
New Government stats show the claimant count is down by more than a third across the city compared to last year, and it is also down across the region, including in Exeter where the claimant count has fallen by more than 40%.
But business research reveals a skills shortage with companies finding it tough to fill jobs at the same time as they battle inflation. And while wages are rising in the South West, they are lagging hikes nationally with Office for National Statistics data showing real earnings have fallen during the past year as cost of living increased.
