The number of unemployed people in Cornwall has shown a slight rise.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the number of people in Cornwall out of work and claiming jobseeker’s allowance in December rose by 589 to 10,226, representing 3.1% of the working population.
Nationally, unemployment figures are at their highest for nearly eight years, at 2.7 million.
Commenting on the figures, David Beaumont, area director for Lloyds TSB Commerical in Devon and Cornwall, conceded the current pressure on staffing levels that many businesses face, but pointed out that the growing trend of people going it alone offered a silver lining.
He said: “Over the past two years, the number of start ups across the UK has grown by more than 20%. These businesses are set up by people looking for an alternative to employment or as a route out of unemployment and either way that secures a job or creates a vacancy. If they go on to expand, they then create jobs for others.
“These are clearly early days, but we know that the start ups of today are the large employers of tomorrow and with the right support such enterprises could help fuel the recovery.”
