Job fair in Nottingham hopes to help fill hundreds of posts

There's a warning tonight that employers in the East Midlands are struggling to fill record levels of job vacancies.

They have been trying to fill hundreds of posts at a jobs fair in Nottingham today.

Experts say the problem is particularly hitting industries that have lost their supply of foreign workers due to Brexit.

A few months from now, 57-year-old Mark Spaven is set to lose his job as a warehouse manager. Yet, he is wasting no time looking for the next opportunity.

He was at a Jobs Fair in the centre of Nottingham. The first event of its kind since the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Spaven said: "I'm going on the internet and the amount of jobs I'm being offered at the minute, especially in warehousing - unbelievable."

Job vacancies are at record levels, however, unemployment in the East Midlands is at a new low - at just over 3 per cent.

Experts say we've seen a big rise in people opting out of work after the pandemic - especially amongst the self-employed.

It's called "the economic inactivity rate" - and it's currently higher in our region than it is nationally.

Will Rossiter, Economic Professor, Nottingham Trent University said: "I think anecdotally we can say that people's experience of the pandemic has been part of what is going on."

He added: "I've certainly spoken to people who have chosen to retire early, move on and do other things".

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