Unemployment rises slightly in January as vacancies spike upwards

Registered jobless total increases by 26 over the month, while live vacancies jump by 130, new figures show

Unemployment on the Isle of Man rose slightly in January, while the number of job vacancies increased significantly, according to the latest Labour Market Report published by Statistics Isle of Man.

At the end of January, 286 people were registered as unemployed - an increase of 26 compared with December, but 84 fewer than in January last year.

The unemployment rate remains at 0.6 percent, unchanged from the previous month.

Of those out of work, 181 were men and 105 were women.

Twelve were under the age of 18, and 21 people were classed as long-term unemployed, meaning they have been without work for 12 months or more.

The number of live vacancies stood at 378 at the end of the month - up by 130 compared with December.

Half of those roles were full-time and half part-time, with around half of part-time positions classified as seasonal, temporary or fixed-term.

The highest number of unemployed people was recorded in miscellaneous services, with 80 individuals, followed by catering and entertainment, with 36.

By contrast, the largest numbers of vacancies were in medical and health services, with 72 roles available, and tourist accommodation, with 66.

Geographically, the east of the Island accounted for the majority of registered unemployed people, with 194, compared with 40 in the north, 34 in the south and 18 in the west.

Alongside the claimant count measure, the report also notes an estimate based on the International Labour Organisation definition of unemployment, which suggests around 731 people were unemployed and seeking work in January, equating to an unemployment rate of 1.6 percent.