UNEMPLOYMENT in Coventry and Warwickshire has risen again.
Business leaders are raising concerns about the rising unemployment rate, despite it slowing down.
Between March and April the rate increased from 4,580 to 4,590 in Coventry and 4,130 to 4,295 in Warwickshire.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We hear from businesses that they want to take on new staff, that they are looking to grow – yet we see the claimant count has gone up, albeit only slightly.
“It’s a concern that our growth companies say they can’t find the skills they need – yet the unemployment figure has crept up again.
“The economy in Coventry and Warwickshire is forecast, through our work with Warwickshire County Council on our Quarterly Economic Survey, to keep growing so it is vitally important that we have the workforce to meet that growth.
“Therefore, I think we’d all like to hear a lot more about skills, training and apprenticeships in this General Election campaign.”
