A total of 292 islanders were unemployed at the end of the first quarter of 2018, a reduction of 88 when compared with the previous year.
Quarterly figures released by the Committee forEmployment & Social Security show that, as well as the year-on-year reduction, the number of jobseekers decreased during the first three months of 2018 – from 305 at the end of December to 292 at the end of March.
Deputy Michelle Le Clerc, President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security, said:
“The Committee is pleased that unemployment continues to be low and down year-on-year. This picture remains a useful indicator of the strength of Guernsey’s economy.
“We are still seeing a range of jobs available across all sectors and Job Centre staff continue to work closely with employers to ensure their needs are met.”
The quarterly unemployment report also highlighted statistics for the average number of people unemployed throughout the quarter. This is calculated by averaging out snapshots taken on the last Saturday of each month.
The average number of jobseekers during the first quarter of 2018 stood at 297. This represents an increase of 14 when compared to the average number between October and December, and reflects the expected annual pattern whereby retailers take on additional seasonal staff in the lead up to Christmas. The average number of jobseekers decreased by 82 during Quarter 1 when compared to the average number of jobseekers for the same period in 2017.
Other stats highlighted include 32 people on training schemes as at the end of March, with 64 islanders having attended short courses run through the Job Centre during the first quarter.
The Job Centre continues to promote vacant job roles via its website, with 856 adverts promoted during Quarter 1, up from 543 during the same period last year.
