Edinburgh job vacancies double in the past year

JOB hunters have been handed a boost after the number of jobs advertised in the Capital has doubled over the past year.

Nearly 6000 vacancies were highlighted by Jobcentre Plus in September – an 87 per cent increase on the same month last year.

Across Scotland, the number of vacancies has risen sharply from 18,600 last year to 26,860 two months ago.

The number of unemployed people per available job in the Capital has also dropped when compared with other cities such as Glasgow, with two people for every post.

The nationwide average is 3.3 people for every job – which has dropped from nearly eight people in early 2012.

Figures from Edinburgh Economy Watch said the Capital performed well when compared with other cities.

The number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants last month stood at 11,029 in the Capital. This meant there were 3.2 per cent unemployed, below the Scotland average of 3.9 per cent. In Glasgow, there were 23,340 unemployed, which is 5.6 per cent of the city population.

But CBI Scotland senior policy executive Lauren Paterson said: “Whilst it is encouraging Edinburgh is leading the way in the labour market statistics with a lower claimant rate than comparator cities, it is important not to be complacent.

“The unemployment figures continue to make grim reading, especially for young people and those in very long-term unemployment and it is vital that government at all levels does everything it can to support businesses to grow and create jobs.”

Tom Buchanan, the city’s economy leader, said getting young people into work was the top priority for the council, and that overall the improvement was encouraging. The Edinburgh Guarantee scheme targets the 300-400 pupils who leave school and go straight into unemployment each year, handing them paid internships with either the local authority itself or a range of firms, including investment giants Standard Life.

He said: “It is very encouraging to see that vacancies have almost doubled. The number of vacancies in the public sector and financial services has been particularly strong. We are committed to improving the job situation further in the city.

“This week we launched a one-stop-shop to make it easier for businesses throughout the city to access quality services and business advice.”

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