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Coronavirus: Job vacancies lowest since records began

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A woman cleaning wine glasses behind a barImage source, Reuters
Image caption,

The number of people applying for each job in Cardiff has risen by 94%, a jobs website says

The number of job vacancies in the UK is at its lowest since records began almost 20 years ago as coronavirus batters the economy, ONS figures show.

In Wales, vacancies have fallen by 55% compared to the same time last year, according to jobs website CV-Library.

The site also reported an increase of 94% in the number of people applying for each job in Cardiff.

The manager of a restaurant in Swansea said it had received 1,000 applications for jobs in the last month.

Image caption,

Manager Rhys Andrews says his restaurant in Swansea has received 1,000 job applications

"These range from senior positions to waiting and bar staff," said Rhys Andrews, manager of Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and Grill, which will reopen in the coming weeks.

"Our food and beverage manager has been incredibly busy sifting through all the applications."

CV-Library figures show the number of vacancies advertised in Wales fell from 12,074 in the second quarter of 2019, to 5,695 in the second quarter of 2020 - a drop of 55%.

It is a picture seen across Wales, including in:

  • Newport - the number of vacancies are down 61%, from 1,418 to 552

  • Cardiff - the number of vacancies are down 57%, from 3,142 to 1,338

  • Bangor - the number of vacancies are down 57%, from 154 to 67

  • Swansea - the number of vacancies are down 51%, from 884 to 430

The drop in Wales is slightly less significant than that seen across the UK as a whole, which fell by 63%.