The jobs market in the East Midlands continues to bounce back strongly – with the proportion of people out of work now below the national average for only the second time during the pandemic.

The unemployment rate for the period between April and June 2021 was 4.3%, compared to 4.7% for the UK, according to the latest labour market figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It was the fourth lowest regional rate in the country and marks a 0.6% reduction on the 4.9% reported last month for March to May.

The East Midlands unemployment rate has consistently been above the national average since April, only once previously dropping 0.1% below for the period between June and August last year, when restrictions eased. Its 5.9% pandemic peak was 0.8% above the UK figure.

East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Throughout this pandemic, the East Midlands has been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 as industries that are heavily represented in our economy – including hospitality, tourism and retail – were forced to close.

“As lockdown has been gradually lifted, it’s no surprise to see more people return to work, with more positive news regarding this expected in the coming months as the period in which almost all restrictions were removed is reflected in future statistics.

“It also proves what we have said all along in that those hardest-hit industries have always remained viable in a fully open and functioning economy.

“These statistics also reflect the results of the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q2 2021, in which a net 20%* of East Midlands businesses increased their headcount in the three months to June and a net 41%** expected to hire more people over the next quarter.”

Skills shortages continue to put a drag on economic recovery

UK job vacancies also hit a record 953,000 in the three months to July, the ONS data reported.

But while payrolls rose by 182,000 between June and July, the total of 28.9 million remains 201,000 lower than pre-pandemic.

Scott added: “The record number of vacancies confirm the ongoing recruitment difficulties many businesses tell us they are facing as a result of the deep-rooted squeeze on labour supply from the impact of Covid and Brexit.

“Despite the positive trajectory for business confidence in our QES, 62% of firms that tried to recruit – which accounted for three in five businesses – reported difficulties in finding people with the required skills across a wide range of roles.

“Although the changes to self-isolation rules will help, staff shortages may persistently weigh on economic activity.

“More needs to be done to ensure businesses have access to skills when these can’t be recruited locally – including access to rapid and agile training and re-skilling opportunities for adults in the workforce, and a more flexible immigration system that allows firms to access the high and low-skilled workers they need.”

BRM Solicitors, who have offices in Chesterfield, are expanding with two new appointments to its Dispute Resolution Department.

Kate Fowler, joins BRM as an Associate from Sheffield law firm Lupton Fawcett specialising in property litigation and bringing over eight years of legal expertise to BRM’s Dispute Resolution Team.

Ellie Davies joins as a trainee solicitor and upon qualification, will specialise in litigation and dispute resolution.

The latest recruits complement the recent appointments of Executive Director and Department Head, Rob Cooke, whose extensive experience spans areas including Commercial and Property Litigation.

Director Giles Searby’s expertise in the manufacturing and technology sectors and experience with international trade issues were a valuable addition to BRM’s Dispute Resolution Department in 2020.

BRM’s Dispute Resolution Department is one of the most experienced and respected in the region, delivering specialist knowledge from its offices in Chesterfield and Sheffield.

The availability of this expertise is likely to be welcome news across the region as the increase in commercial activity has seen businesses faced with unpaid or part paid bills, debt collection worries, property litigation and supply chain issues.

BRM Executive Director, Rob Cooke, said:

“Kate and Ellie joining BRM is part of the firm’s ambitious plans for growth , where our business teams are gaining recognition for their consistently high service standards. The fact that we are rapidly attracting clients from both inside and outside of the region underlines that the region is a great place to do business, and we are proud that BRM’s growth is playing a part in the continuing growth and evolution of the region and its businesses.”

BRM Solicitors supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 190 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

From the 16th August, people who are double jabbed or aged under 18 will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case. The change is part of step 4 of the government’s COVID-19 roadmap. With 75% of people having received both doses of the vaccine, the majority of adults will no longer need to self-isolate if they are contacts.

double-jabbed individuals and under 18s who are identified as close contacts by NHS Test and Trace will be advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible to check if they have the virus and for variants of concern. People can order a PCR home test online or by calling 119, or going to a test site.

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “The changes to the test and trace system are another important step towards normality and will finally give businesses the much-needed certainty they need if they are to fully recover.

“While the removal of almost all restrictions on businesses last month was a landmark moment in our battle against coronavirus, the so-called ‘pingdemic’ caused huge issues for companies that found themselves under-staffed and receiving cancellations from customers.

“The desensitisation of the NHS Covid-19 app and exempting some key workers from the self-isolation requirements helped some businesses but many industries that weren’t included have had to struggle on.

“Removing the requirement for double-vaccinated people to self-isolate means we are now arriving at a crucial point in the pandemic as we move from state-mandated rules to personal responsibility, which is what businesses have wanted to see for a long time.

“As our latest Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2021 demonstrated, confidence in the East Midlands has bounced back strongly and it’s clear businesses now want to grasp the opportunity of a fully open and functioning economy with both hands to make up for lost time.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:  “Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this. Every single one of these sacrifices has helped us protect the NHS and save lives.”

“Getting 2 doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms, and from Monday we can take another huge step back towards our normal lives by removing self-isolation requirements for double-jabbed people who are contacts of people with COVID-19. Double-jabbed people who test positive will still need to self-isolate.”

“Vaccines are what will bring this pandemic to an end – the wall of defence provided by the roll-out is allowing us to get even closer to normal life. If you haven’t already, please make sure you come forward for your jab at the earliest opportunity.”

Further information about the change can be read at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/self-isolation-removed-for-double-jabbed-close-contacts-from-16-august

Commenting on the sixth assessment report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was published on the 9 August, East Midlands Chamber has identified the important role businesses need to play in the sustainability agenda. It has also recognised that there are strong commercial benefits to adopting a greener and cleaner approach to doing business.

Chamber director of resources Lucy Robinson said: The report by the IPCC is a sobering reminder of how each and every one of us has a role to play in the fight against climate change, and this is particularly true of businesses – no matter what their shape, size or location.

“The Chamber launched the Sustainable East Midlands campaign last year to help more organisations in our region embrace the sustainability agenda after recognising how businesses account for 18% of the UK’s emissions.

“The good news is we are moving in the right direction. Our latest research, conducted in partnership with the University of Derby, shows the proportion of East Midlands companies that derive turnover from supplying pro-environmental goods or services has increased from 16% in 2015 to 37% in 2021. Even in the past year, we’ve seen a 7% rise in the number of firms that have integrated clean growth into their business strategies – now at 36% of businesses.

“We still need to do more though, particularly in supporting SMEs to adopt a sustainable growth strategy. While the latest IPCC research illustrates how reducing our carbon emissions is clearly the right thing to do if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change, there are also strong commercial benefits to adopting a greener and cleaner approach to doing business.

“Just like the automotive industry is now beginning to shift from petrol and diesel to building electric cars because it has identified the direction of the market, engaging with sustainability will make our business community more competitive in the long term – whether it’s in securing public sector contracts, cutting operating costs or offering innovations that help solve climate challenges.

“It will ultimately also make the East Midlands more competitive as a region, but it also plays into our strengths as we have all the pieces of the sustainability jigsaw – the high energy users in manufacturing, the energy producers in our coal field heritage, and new hi-tech businesses coming out of our world-leading universities.”

For more information on the support available to East Midlands businesses in adopting sustainable practices, visit www.emc-dnl.co.uk/sustainability.

East Midlands Chamber will host the East Midlands Sustainability Summit in partnership with the University of Derby on 23 September. For more details, click here.

A new campaign created by employers for employers to boost mental health and productivity by encouraging open conversations in workplaces in the East Midlands has been officially launched.

“Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat” has been launched by the Mental Health and Productivity Pilot (MHPP) to give businesses and organisations of all sizes and sectors the help they need to encourage staff and bosses alike to open up about their mental health.

The campaign was created by MHPP with input from a group of ten Midlands employers from a variety of sectors and geographies, as well as employees with lived experience of mental health problems.

It’s one of a number of ways that MHPP, a collaboration of Midlands universities, local authorities and mental health charity Mind, is supporting employers to understand the important link between staff mental health and wellbeing, and business productivity.

Research has shown that mental health is one of the biggest causes of sickness absences in Midlands businesses – and the impact of COVID-19 has recently become another key factor in poor mental health at work.

As well as tips and advice on starting conversations, for line managers and employees, employers can access a free ‘resource pack’ on the MHPP website, which gives resources and guidance to help them roll out a campaign to encourage conversations about mental health in their own organisation.

The pack includes campaign planning guidance, downloadable resources to support both employees and line managers to start conversations and awareness-raising promotional materials such as posters, social media assets, video call backgrounds and email signature banners – all of which employers can use to suit the needs of the business.

Manjinder Singh, Head of Consulting at infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, which has offices in Chesterfield and contributed to the campaign, felt it was a great way for businesses to take the first step into making a huge difference to staff mental health and productivity.

He added: “As a business we began to place a spotlight on the topic of mental health some years ago, recognising the importance of wellbeing in creating a culture of care that enables our people to bring their best selves to work.

“Through Midlands Engine’s Mental Health & Productivity Pilot (MHPP) we can share lessons learned from our journey with other organisations, adding diversity of thought to discussions on the role of employers in supporting mental health.

“In the current global climate, it is more important than ever that people know it is OK to talk openly about mental health in the workplace. We hope that MHPP will help remove some of the stigma surrounding this topic for businesses and their employees in the region.”

And Sinziana Irimia, who was diagnosed with postpartum depression while working for her current employer, thought Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat was key to supporting employees to feel comfortable with talking about their mental health at work.

She said: “No one should feel they have to hide mental health conditions at work. For so many years it has been seen as a weakness, but that’s far from the truth.

“I got involved with this campaign because I wanted to help change the mindset of workplaces when it comes to mental health. The pressure I felt around not delivering in my job because of my mental health condition was huge.

“On more vulnerable days, my anxiety kicked in and I feared that I might become jobless. But in reality, I love my job and I am good at it. People with mental health problems can and do fulfil our jobs to a high standard every day.

“It is essential to be able to talk openly with your colleagues about mental health. Just knowing that someone else has been in your shoes and they are still standing and can get on with their lives – that’s important.

“This campaign will get employees feeling more confident to open up to talking about mental health in the workplace, which will make a massive difference to people’s wellbeing with a direct impact on their performance at work.”

MHPP is funded by Midlands Engine and is led by Coventry University in partnership with the University of Warwick, the West Midlands Combined Authority, mental health charity Mind and the universities of Birmingham, Derby, Lincoln, Loughborough and Nottingham.

Prior to the campaign launch MHPP has been helping employers across the Midlands to take steps to support and improve the mental health of their workforce, and ultimately increase productivity.

Caroline Geraghty, MHPP Project Manager at Coventry University said: “Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat is all about giving employers and employees the support and confidence to start conversations at work about mental health.  In the same way that we all have physical health, everyone has mental health too, so it’s important that people feel able to talk about mental health wherever they work.

“We know from talking to Midlands employers, that often people find it hard to talk about mental health at work.  Through ‘Bridge the Gap, Start a Chat’ we want to show employers and employees that it doesn’t need to be difficult and starting a conversation is a great place to begin.

“There’s some really good advice on the web site, and we’ve made it easy for employers run their own campaign by providing guidance and resources that can be downloaded and shared with staff.

“Ultimately, talking about mental health is the first step that employers can take to supporting staff.  MHPP also offers a range of other free support, to help organisations implement a structured approach to improving workplace mental health – and it doesn’t cost anything as our work is funded by Midlands Engine.

“We would encourage all employers to head to the MHPP website and have a look at the employers resource pack – there’s plenty in there to get started on making a big difference.

“If enough employers get on board, it will make an enormous difference to the health and wellbeing of workers across the Midlands.”

Find out more at https://mhpp.me/