Lincolnshire County Council: Job market report

Research from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership says the gaps will be left by a retiring ageing population and people leaving roles, and says there are not enough school leavers to fill the vacancies.

A report before Lincolnshire County Council’s economy scrutiny committee next week says around 29% of currently advertised job vacancies are “hard to fill” with a fifth of those roles due to  a skills shortage.

The hardest to fill vacancies include skilled trade, sales and customer service  and caring, leisure and service occupations.

The report says: “The council and the LEP are already delivering activity to train the existing workforce to reduce skills gaps, to prepare the future workforce to think about local jobs and to help people lead fuller working lives.”

The research forms part of a Government call for “high quality analysis” of local labour markets.

The aim is to “help shape new initiatives and understand where local interventions are needed most”.

According to the figures, wage rates in Lincolnshire are 14% lower  than the national average, however, the LEP says that the “complex picture” also shows that wages in 2017-18 increased “more quickly than nationally”.

It adds: “It is important to recognise the lower cost of living in Lincolnshire alongside discussion about wages”

Around 140,000 residents of working age in Lincolnshire either choose not to work, cannot work or are not seeking work, says the report.

Daniel Jaines , Local Democracy Reporting Service