JOBCENTRE staff in Southampton were thanked for their work by a government minister amid positive unemployment figures.

Employment minister Mims Davies visited the city after figures showed the number of people on payrolls had risen across all regions and age groups, with vacancies also up.

The number of unemployed in the South East was around 197,000, down 1,000 on the previous quarter, while employment in Southampton is higher than the national average at 75.7 per cent.

Mims Davies visited St Cross House in Southampton with Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North.

The minister said: “It was brilliant to meet DWP colleagues in Southampton and thank them in person for their continued hard work and their impact on this week’s positive job figures.

“It was also great to hear first-hand their insights on how to best help our customers progress and see how our Plan for Jobs is truly making a difference to people’s lives.

“Our labour market has proven to be incredibly agile in these challenging times and with vacancies at a record high there is no better time to grab a new opportunity. Our Jobcentres, including St Cross House are absolutely open for business, to give people the skills and confidence they need to seize new and better paid jobs in 2022.”

The minister met staff delivering the Restart support scheme and met representatives of Testlands, a health and wellbeing provider, to hear about their experience of the Kickstart scheme for young unemployed people and their support of the Afghan Resettlement Scheme.

She also spoke to representatives from the Saints Foundation, the charity of Southampton Football Club, which supports the Jobcentre’s weekly recruitment days.

Alan Burton, Jobcentre service leader for Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight, said: “The pandemic has been incredibly challenging for jobseekers across the South East, but there is hope as our dedicated staff continue to provide vital support – giving people an opportunity to develop their skills and get onto the career ladder.

“It was fantastic to welcome the minister to St Cross House and for our staff to be praised in person for their relentless work – whether that be for Kickstart, Job Entry Targeted Support or through our Youth Hub activity.”