| Newbury has made it as one of a select group of just 13 towns to have more jobs than workers.
According to new government figures released Wednesday, the jobless figure in West Berkshire remained at 1%, down from 1.3% this time last year.
Although around 650 people are on the dole, there are still more jobs than people in Newbury, even including the 200 Vodafone jobs to be axed before the end of the year, as announced yesterday.
Many of the other towns facing a labour shortage are suffering from ageing populations, either as a result of an exodus of young workers to nearby cities, or as retirement towns.
However, Newbury has one of the highest percentages of its population in work, often to pay for high mortgages, than anywhere in the UK, apart from Orkney.
| Labour
shortage 2004. The UK hotspots. |
|
Region |
| 1. |
Thirsk
Yorks |
| 2. |
Oban
Scot |
| 3. |
Truro
Corn |
| 4. |
Windermere
Cumbria |
| 5. |
Kintyre*
Scot |
| 6. |
Malton
Yorks |
| 7. |
Crawley
Sussx |
| 8. |
Hawes
Cumbria |
| 9. |
Aberdeen
Scot |
| 10. |
Matlock
Derbs |
| 11. |
Basingstoke
Hants |
| 12. |
Cheltenham
Glos |
| 13. |
Newbury
Berks |
|
|
| *
Lochgilphead in W Scotland |
|
|
| 
