COVENTRY and Warwickshire business leaders said unemployment levels would remain unpredictable after it reached its highest level for sixth months.
Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics hit 4.2 per cent in the last three months.
Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce said that many firms are struggling to find the staff they require to grow the firm.
He said the level of unemployment has risen and there is a huge amount of people who are not included in those figures because they are not looking for employment.
“We are still speaking to companies every day of the week who want to employ more people so that they can grow but they simply can’t get hold of the skills they need.
“Therefore, we can expect the unemployment rate to be quite unpredictable in the months ahead and this is why it’s so important that we continue to tackle the skills issue head on.”
Corin added that the Local Skills Improvement Plan is a good way to start doing that and it is vital to continue the momentum to give people the skills they need for jobs.
Jane Gratton, deputy director public policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Too many firms are still struggling to find the people and skills they need to fill job vacancies.
“At the same time, real wage growth continues to rise, ramping up the cost of employment – all this acts as a brake on activity, profitability and investment.
“Government and employers need to find ways to bring more people back into the workforce and to train them for our current and emerging skills needs.
“Until we get more people permanently back into the workplace then the upside risks of higher inflation and interest rates will remain.”
