THE North-East jobs market is building momentum as employers become increasingly confident about their futures, it has been claimed.

Latest statistics, released today (Wednesday, November 15), show the region had 1.23 million people in work between July and September after a 10,000 increase in the period.

Unemployment was also down, falling 6,000 to 71,000, though the region remained the UK’s jobless hotspot - alongside the West Midlands - with its 5.5 per cent unemployment rate higher than the national 4.3 per cent figure.

However, Carol Daniell, an employer and partnership manager at Jobcentre Plus, said the situation was improving, with officials’ efforts to strengthen jobseekers’ CVs and personal skills bearing fruit.

Ms Daniell said the organisation is working with increasing numbers of companies seeking staff across various sectors, citing caravan maker Elddis, based in Consett, County Durham, as a prime example.

She said: “From a Jobcentre point of view, we are probably working with more employers than we have done for a number of years; companies are probably a bit more confident.

“What we are also finding is an increasing amount of vacancies are full-time and permanent jobs.

“We’ve been working with Elddis for the last few months, identifying people that have the right skills and attitude for them.

“They have included one lady who, having been out of work for a while, is now a team leader.”

Nationally, employment stood at just over 32 million, the Office for National Statistics said, with unemployment down 59,000 to 1.4 million, the lowest figure in more than 12 years.