Local MP, Maria Miller, visited Basingstoke Jobcentre Plus for an update on the latest employment figures and delivery of the Kickstart programme.
Maria said, "Basingstoke is bouncing back following the challenges of the past 22 months. Many businesses adapted to the pandemic by supporting their employees to work from home, some used the Government furlough scheme to protect as many jobs as possible but inevitably hundreds of people did lose their jobs because of the pandemic particularly in personal care, retail and hospitality. Whilst employment levels are still not yet at pre-pandemic levels, many of those who lost their jobs are now back in work, thanks to the hard work of local businesses, the Job Centre and the M3 Job Club."
Figures show that the number of people out of work in Basingstoke is down to 3.4% - significantly lower than the UK average of 4.4%.
Maria went on to say, "This encouraging trend in Basingstoke has not been impacted by the recent wave of the Omicron variant. Nationally the number of job vacancies continued to rise to a new record of 1,247,000 by December, an increase of 462,000 from the pre-coronavirus January to March 2020 level.
"The staff at our Jobcentre Plus have provided important support for people looking for work in Basingstoke over the difficult past two years. Like all workplaces JCP has also been affected by staff absences and the need to adapt during the pandemic. I know that great efforts have been made to ensure face-to-face delivery is once again the norm for clients, whilst still retaining flexibility with video or phone appointments for those who might need it. This is paying off with more and more people moving back into work in Basingstoke.
"Youth unemployment had fallen dramatically in Basingstoke over the past decade; but during the pandemic it rose significantly, peaking at around 1000 18-24 year olds out of work. Focussed support through the Kickstart scheme, with 269 ‘Starts’ in Basingstoke so far, has given those who recently left college the experience needed to help secure a long-term job. As a result, youth unemployment figures have fallen in the past few months by more than 50%. There is more to do, but by focussing on specific support, young people are getting the employment opportunities they need to build the foundations for their working life."
Nationally the £2billion Kickstart Programme has helped over 100,000 people to get the skills and training they need to boost the start of their careers. This is being built on with the new three-year £2.9 billion Restart Scheme to help more than one million unemployed people find work through enhanced and tailored support.