Understanding Herefordshire have released the latest edition of their ‘Economic Impacts of Covid-19’ summary. The key findings are as follows:
- Provisional figures at the end of April 2021 suggest the take-up rate of the Job Retention Scheme has fallen to 10% in Herefordshire, remaining slightly below the rate regionally and nationally (11%).
- Up to 9 May, 5,000 claims, totaling £13.5 million, had been made under the fourth grant of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) in Herefordshire. The take up rate in Herefordshire (39%) has been significantly lower than nationally and regionally (50%).
- Herefordshire job postings have held up well during the pandemic. This in combination with the claimant count data appears to suggest that Herefordshire’s economy has been quite resilient to the economic turbulence of the past twelve months.
- Nursing and personal care topped the list of the most in-demand skills in April 2021.
- In the period January to December 2020 the unemployment rate in Herefordshire was 3%, compared to 4.6% in England and 5.3% across the West Midlands.
To read the full summary, visit the Understanding Herefordshire website.