Unemployment remains at 0.6 percent as vacancies rise

Labour Market Report shows 273 people registered out of work in September

The Isle of Man’s unemployment rate has remained at 0.6 percent, according to the latest Labour Market Report published by Statistics Isle of Man.

At the end of September, there were 273 people registered as unemployed, a fall of four compared with August but 13 more than the same month last year.

The number of job vacancies stood at 439, up 27 from August. Just over half were full-time positions, while 40 percent were part-time.

Under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) measure, which includes those not formally registered as jobseekers, an estimated 718 people were unemployed and looking for work - equivalent to one point six percent of the economically active population.

Men continued to make up around two-thirds of registered jobseekers, with 183 unemployed males compared with 90 females.

Unemployment remains concentrated in the east of the Island, which includes Douglas, Onchan and Braddan, where 183 people were out of work. Smaller numbers were recorded in the north (42), south (32) and west (16).

The sectors reporting the highest numbers of unemployed persons were miscellaneous services, retail distribution, and catering and entertainment.

However, the greatest demand for staff was found in medical and health services, which had 83 vacancies. Other areas with significant openings included retail, banking, and hospitality.

The report shows that the majority of jobseekers were unemployed for less than three months, but 29 people are classed as long-term unemployed - defined as being out of work for 12 months or more.

Younger people under 25 accounted for around one quarter of those unemployed, while a similar proportion were aged between 45 and 54.