'The jobs market is really tough at the moment'

Kim Macriner, from Mach Recruitment, said there were 30% fewer jobs in Corby since the end of last year

The jobs market in a town hit by hundreds of job losses this month was "really tough", a recruitment agency said.

In Corby, Northamptonshire, more than 500 workers lost their roles at Orchard House Foods (OHF) and almost 100 jobs could go at a packaging firm set to close.

Mach Recruitment said 400 of its agency workers found themselves without work when OHF, a fruit and juice firm, went into administration.

Kim Macriner, sales director at the company, said at the moment there was "over 100 jobseekers for every job that's advertised".

"The local [jobs] market is really tough," she said.

OHF, which had its headquarters in Corby, supplied brands such as Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Pret A Manger, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

It entered administration because of "challenging trading conditions", administrators said.

Earlier this month a consultation with workers began on the closure of Berry Superfos Thermoforming, which has provided plastic packaging for supermarkets.

The company said the move could result in the loss of 95 jobs.

Orchard House Foods entered administration resulting in more than 500 job losses

Ms Macriner said she was "hopeful" of finding new work for the people affected by OHF's closure, but said jobs in Corby were "down by 30% since last November".

She said some of that reduction was down to seasonal work peaking between September and December, but the number of job losses was "significant".

"The [jobs] market is becoming really competitive. It's an ideal market for employers but not necessarily for candidates," she said.

Businesses in Corby were still positive about the future, Shaun Rose from the Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chambers of Commerce said

Shaun Rose from the Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes Chambers of Commerce said Corby was "very resilient".

He said the economy in the town was "diverse, it has a lot more businesses in many different sectors".

"It will bounce back from these very troubling announcements," he said.