29 April 2021

Dorset Labour Market and Skills Insights - Quarter 1 2021

Dorset Labour Market and Skills Insights - Quarter 1 2021

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Dorset Labour Market and Skills Insights for Quarter 1 are now live, providing the latest insights on the changing labour market and skills landscape across the county.

The first quarter of 2021 was one of highs and lows. Dorset entered a third lockdown and a New Year simultaneously and marked a year since the start of the pandemic. The spike in cases seen at the beginning of the year subsided with over 60% of adults receiving their first COVID-19 vaccination, and cautious steps on the roadmap to easing the restrictions are now well underway.

The Dorset Labour Market and Skills Insights for Q1 show that the labour market responded accordingly. There was a decline in employment and a rise in furlough, but also a noted increase in vacancies towards the end of the quarter. With some new employers on the vacancy front and the majority of companies planning to recruit, Dorset is gearing up for a sunny summer.

Over the past year, the employment rate in Dorset fell by almost 2 percentage points and unemployment increased at a similar rate. While employment remained higher and unemployment lower than nationally, the negative effects of the pandemic have been evident in Dorset and unemployment, furlough and out-of-work benefits increased in Q1.

Despite the pressures of the third lockdown, the National Health Service, J.P. Morgan, Bournemouth University, the Councils and residential care firms continued be the top recruiters. Checkatrade and the Office for National Statistics also joined the chart and new projects are expected to create jobs locally.

Sectors with increased employment demand during Q1 included ICT, property, public administration and defence, construction, financial and other services as well as health and social care. 

The Dorset Apprenticeship Finder dashboard is now available to use and has been developed in collaboration with local partners to allow direct access to the latest apprenticeship vacancies and statistics. Apprenticeship opportunities were on the rise in Q1, with 88 vacancies in Dorset in March 2021 – 20% higher than the same time last year.

To find out more and read the full report, visit our Dorset Labour Market and Skills Insights - Quarter 1 webpage.

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