Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the unemployment rate in Essex.

In Essex, and across the country, our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into work and helping those in work to progress. We have comprehensive range of support in place and are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering sector based work academy programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, job fairs, and work trials.

The Essex Jobcentre team continue to build partnerships with local employers to fill vacancies. Throughout November, claimants in Witham were invited to Chelmsford Jobcentre for recruitment events linked to The Range and One Beyond, filling vacancies in retail and hospitality. During January the team are working with local employers in the education, healthcare, security, retail and social care sectors, with bespoke events to help fill vacancies.

Claimants in Essex also have access to an extensive range of SWAPs, across a range of sectors, with opportunities planned for January in the large goods vehicle industry, energy, and animal care sectors. We continue to encourage claimants to participate in events at the London Stansted Airport Academy to support further airport recruitment.