Better news has emerged for jobseekers in Coventry with the city's employers reporting confident hiring intentions, a survey has claimed.
The city, which has been hit by Peugeot's announcement to close its Ryton factory with the loss of 2,300 jobs, is likely to see more firms increase their workforce over the summer.
Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey, a quarterly study of hiring trends, showed that 14 per cent of employers in Coventry and the West Midlands plan to increase the size of their workforce between July and September, with just eight per cent expecting a decrease.
Sarah Stevenson, business manager of Manpower Professional in Coventry, said: "Coventry is traditionally associated with the manufacturing and automotive industries but it has successfully diversified into other sectors to accommodate new skill sets.
"It has recently been a busy period in the financial sector due to continued investment, particularly in the qualified and practice fields.
"Good candidates are in short supply and we have witnessed scenarios where jobseekers have the option of choosing their preferred role from several positions offered."
Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey provides a forecast of employer hiring intentions for the quarter ahead.
The report, based on inter-views with more than 2,000 UK employers, reveals that those in all industry sectors surveyed plan to take on staff in the next three months.
The cautious revival by employers in the manufacturing sector is continuing, with a balance of +14 per cent set to take on more staff - the most positive result for any industry sector since the fourth quarter of 2004, and an increase of one percentage point over last quarter.
Employers in the community and social sector are reporting their most optimistic third quarter results since 2001 (+14 per cent).
High Street employers are increasingly positive about their hiring plans for the forthcoming months and even stronger is the hotels and restaurant sub-sector.
There employers report a firm hiring intentions balance of +23 per cent, which comes in at up two percentage points over the last quarter and over the year.
