Unemployment in Knowsley could return to the levels seen before the pandemic as soon as August, according to a recent council report.
The report looks at the impact covid has had on jobs for people in Knowsley, describing the severe effect lockdowns had upon the borough’s employment rates.
At the height of the first wave of the pandemic, in May 2020, unemployment in Knowsley had reached a dizzying 8.9%, nearly double what it had been just three months earlier ,as the country ground to a half in the midst of lockdown.
READ MORE : Liverpool green bin charge, when it comes in, how much you will pay and other details
That figure has been steadily reducing ever since, and now stands at just short of 6%, according to the report produced by Knowsley Council ’s head of service employment initiatives, Patrick McCarten.
In the report it is claimed that figure is expected to continue to decrease at pace and will soon be at the levels seen before the advent of covid.
It states: “With the current trajectory of falling unemployment figures, Knowsley would expect to be at pre-pandemic levels of unemployment by August 2022.”
Unemployment for the borough’s young adults remains high however, despite falling from a peak of nearly 15%in May 2020 to its current level of nearly 9%.
Measures including the creation of 50 additional apprenticeships and the roll out of the Kickstarter scheme has created hundreds of new opportunities for Knowsley youngsters, the report states.
A dedicated “world of work” team has also recently been set up, helping young people with practical job seeking advice and techniques including CV writing.
Since September 2021, over 500 people have also received support from the Restart programme, a government measure for which Knowsley Council was awarded a contract.
Creating 38 jobs in the borough, the scheme is aimed at provided tailored employment support for around 3000 Knowsley residents.
Councillors from the borough’s economic growth and prosperity scrutiny committee due to be held next week, will meet next week on March 8 to discuss the finding and decide whether they are satisfied with the measures Knowsley Council are taking to increase jobs in the borough.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
