Wales’ most difficult places to be unemployed

THE ISLE of Anglesey is Wales’s most challenging place to find work, new research has revealed.

The research analysed the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on the number of job adverts in each local authority compared against the estimated number of people who are unemployed and seeking work. The study was conducted by virtual office provider Virtual HQ to explore which parts of the country might be most tempted to consider going freelance or setting up their own business.

The results revealed that the Isle of Anglesey is Wales’s most competitive local authority for job seekers as its unemployment count stands at 1,000, while its job advert count is just 550. As a result there are just 55 job ads for every 100 unemployed people, or 182 unemployed people for every 100 job ads – the worst ratios in Wales, and a potential reason for those looking for a new job to consider self-employment. It also makes The Isle of Anglesey the UK’s 28^th toughest place to be a job seeker.

Wales’s second toughest place for job seekers is Blaenau Gwent, where there were 775  job ads according to the latest government figures, but 1,400 people without a job who are actively seeking work, which equates to 181 people for every 100 job ads. Blaenau Gwent ranks 31^st in the UK.

The Vale of Glamorgan is third in the ranking of Wales’s toughest local authorities for job seekers. It has 1,264 job ads available for 2,200 people who are unemployed, which is a ratio of 174 people per 100 job ads.

Neath Port Talbot is in fourth place as there are 164 people for every 100 job ads, due to an unemployment count of 2,400 and the availability of just 1,467 job ads.

Caerphilly completes the top five with 3,100 job seekers and 1,965 job ads, resulting in 158 people per 100 ads.

Commenting on the study, Andrew Manning MD of Virtual HQ said: “This study offers a fascinating insight into the evolving UK job market, which continues to shift as AI reshapes the skills employers need.

“When people face a tough job market, sometimes the best option is to consider alternative routes, such as the flexibility of freelancing, or the potential of setting up your own business.

“There are around 1.3 million people who are unemployed and looking for work, while there are roughly 1.6 million live job adverts, but the balance between supply and demand varies sharply.

“Wherever people are based, unemployment is a good time to take stock and think about what you want to do next, whether that is starting your own business or changing careers.”

Wales local authorities ranked by difficulty of finding a job, by Virtual HQ:

At the other end of the scale, Monmouthshire has the lowest ratio of people to job adverts in Wales. The local authority has an unemployment count of 1,100, but a job ad count of 1,902, which equates to just 58 people for every 100 job ads.

Cardiff has Wales’s second lowest rate of people per job ads thanks to 8,100 unemployed job seekers, and 11,449 job adverts. This means that for every 100 job ads, there are 71 people looking for employment. Powys has the third most favourable balance for job seekers, as there are 81 people per 100 job ads.

Overall across the UK, Gedling in Nottinghamshire is the most competitive local authority for job seekers as its unemployment count stands at 2,400, while its job advert count is just 657, which equals 365 unemployed people for every 100 job ads.

In second place is Rotherham, where there were 1,495 job ads but 4,600 people without a job who are actively seeking work, which equates to 308 people for every 100 job ads.

North East Derbyshire is the second of three East Midlands local authorities to appear in the top five most challenging places to find work. It has 622 job ads available for 1,900 people who are unemployed, which is a ratio of 305 people per 100 job ads.

Also in the East Midlands, Broxtowe is in fourth place as there are 296 people for every 100 job ads, due to an unemployment count of 2,500 and the availability of just 846 job ads.

Broadland in East Anglia completes the top five with 1,800 job seekers and 626 job ads, resulting in 288 people per 100 ads.

The study was conducted by Virtual HQ, which supports thousands of businesses, providing virtual office locations, mail, and telephone management.