UNEMPLOYMENT has dropped in Coventry – but there are still concerns surrounding skills shortage.
Business leaders are urging the government to address skills shortage to ensure unemployment continues to fall.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “When we speak to many members, they are looking to recruit but can’t find people with the right skills, so the need to take on staff is not being matched by the numbers of people moving into work.
“We know through our work with Warwickshire County Council on our Quarterly Economic Survey that there is a shortage of skills in many sectors and only by solving that can we expect to really make a big impression on the unemployment figures.”
Between April and May the rate in Coventry dropped from 4,575 to 4,455, while in Warwickshire the rate rose from 4,315 to 4,375.
Ms Bennett added: “There is still major uncertainty around the new government and what it is going to be able to achieve at this stage but it is absolutely imperative that we get on top of the skills shortage to ensure we keep the economy growing and unemployment falling.”
