Unemployment figures for October show a slight rise of Thanet people out of work, up 1.6% – equating to 70 people – on September.
Overall the unemployment rate for the isle stands at 5.3% of the working age population, amounting to 4,375 people.
Thanet has the second highest rate of youth unemployment in the south east with 840 claimants aged between 18 and 24, a rate of 9.1% compared to the Kent average of 5.2% and the national average of 5%. Hastings has the highest youth unemployment rate in the south east.
In Kent 31,670 people were claiming unemployment benefits in October, an increase of 1.8% (+565) since the previous month.
Thanet Jobcentres are working with companies including Burger King, Tesco and G Casino to fill vacancies.
Lily Chiu, recruitment specialist at the isle’s job centres, said: “In the past month, Burger King have again been in touch with several more vacancies to fill at their Broadstairs store in the run up to Christmas. From the interviews so far, three customers are now working for them. With 11 interviews taking place this week, and a further 13 slots available next week, it looks likely that all their vacancies will soon be filled.
“With the recent focus on festive jobs, we have been working with Tesco in Margate and G Casino at Westwood Cross to fill their seasonal roles. After pre-screening candidates, six customers attended interviews at the Margate store. Following this, three customers have been given provisional offers for seasonal contracts. In addition, the restaurant manager at G Casino has taken on two food & beverage hosts and a commis chef after conducting interviews at the Jobcentre.
“The care sector remains a priority with the demand for staff continually growing. In response to this, we are continuing to work with several providers, including MyLife Homecare, CareTech, and PCAS Kent. Last week, CareTech were back interviewing in the jobcentre as they have further vacancies at Turner Lodge and Prices Avenue in Margate. MyLife Homecare, which is new to the area, has already been successful with taking on staff this week and more interviews are lined up in Ramsgate Jobcentre.
“As we approach the end of the year, we are looking forward to creating more employment opportunities for our customers. We have recently started engaging with Kent County Council to support filling their vacancies, and they hope to attend some of our recruitment events in the new year. Additionally, we have started working with one of the national recruiters at Dunelm, who is keen to set up Work Experience opportunities going forward.”
The next Jobcentre recruitment event 7th December in Margate, make arrangements to attend through Jobcentre coaches. There are a range of employers and providers due to attend, from NHS to Mitie and Tesco.
