A recently published report by the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) showed employment in Dorset was affected by both the pandemic and uncertainty around the EU transition.

It found that, while unemployment did increase in 2020, due to the national support schemes in place, it was lower than in previous recessions and employment vacancies returned relatively quickly, allowing for some cautious optimism.

The numbers of furloughed workers dropped significantly in November without an increase in claims for Universal Credit, suggesting a movement back to work. Homeworking increased to almost 50 per cent in April, with very few returning to the office since.

Not surprisingly, the demand for staff in the hospitality, tourism and arts sectors fell by half in 2020. However, recruitment in financial services, utilities, professional services, scientific and technical activities stayed fairly constant, while the health and social care sector grew by a quarter.

Low-skilled workers and young people aged 16 to 24 have been disproportionately affected, as almost half of the county’s young people are employed in distribution, hotels and restaurants.

The review highlights a mismatch between job vacancies in Dorset’s key sectors and the skills and experiences of a large proportion of Dorset’s available workforce. Because of this, vacancies can be hard to fill despite the increased number of applicants.

Those seeking work are being encouraged to develop news skills to give them the best chance of gaining long-term employment through national initiatives such as the free Train4Tomorrow Skills Bootcamps, national careers fairs and the ‘hour to skill’ campaign encouraging all people to set aside an hour per week for online learning to develop a new skills.