Jobseeker numbers "encouraging"

Friday 14 October 2022

810 people were registered as actively seeking work, new figures described as "encouraging" by an Assistant Minister have shown.

This was 190 more than the last quarter, which the Government put down to parents registering as jobseekers, noting that this was a trend each September as those whose "youngest child has started nursery are required to seek employment in line with Income Support legislation."

It was, however, 180 fewer than one year ago.

Published by Statistics Jersey, the latest figures also showed that more women (490) than men (320) were registered as actively seeking work.

The total number of people who had been seeking work for more than 12 months was 210, which was 10 lower than the previous quarter and 200 lower compared to a year earlier.

We have just published the Registered Actively Seeking Work - Q3 2022 Report. You can read the full report here: https://t.co/rwpuabxzta. pic.twitter.com/O9YdT3wCuc

— Statistics Jersey (@JsyStats) October 12, 2022

Of the 810 people who were registered as actively seeking work, Statistics Jersey found that 270 were classified as 'underemployed'. This means that they are working fewer hours than they would like or not in an adequate employment situation.

April's figures saw Jersey jobseeker numbers hit a 10-year low.

Assistant Minister for Social Security Deputy Malcolm Ferey described the latest stats as "encouraging in that they demonstrate that the overall trend is downward."

He continued: "The opportunities for parents returning to the workplace are better than they have been for some considerable years as our employment market in many sectors remains strong.

"The Back to Work team can help with creating CVs, building confidence with interviews and updating digital skills for those that are now ready to return to employment or increasing their weekly working hours."

You can read a full report by Statistics Jersey on the actively seeking work numbers up to the end of September 2022 here.