A leading business figure in Coventry and Warwickshire has welcomed another fall in unemployment in the sub-region – on a day of good news for industry.
In the last 12 months figures for unemployed people in Coventry and Warwickshire have fallen by more than 1,500.
In Coventry, 896 fewer people were claiming Job Seekers Allowance than at this stage in 2012, while that figure was 784 in Warwickshire.
The national trend was also positive with employment reaching a record high of 29.78 million.
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The number of people signing on fell in every region across the UK which is positive news but we must not rest on our laurels because there is still a great deal of work to be done.
“One set of positive figures does not signal an end to the recession and does not make a trend, but it is very encouraging news.
“This, coupled with very positive export figures for the West Midlands and better news from the EU, does reflect what we are hearing on the ground from our members.
“Clearly some sectors are doing better than others, and there are issues which are holding back growth such as skill levels and access to finance.
“They are all things the Chamber is campaigning on and we are constantly pushing for more help for business. We are, for example, in the middle of an export campaign designed to help our members explore and capitalise upon new markets.
“It would be foolhardy to say everything is looking bright, but when people are only too quick to seize upon bad news, we should welcome positive indicators.”
