Leicester Employment Hub concern over candidates not taking up offers

Job vacancies have hit a record high, figures show

An employment worker has said she is concerned candidates are turning down interviews, despite record vacancies.

Tracey Waterfield, from the Leicester Employment Hub, said there were "so many vacancies" but lots of people were not taking up the offers.

One IT boss said more than half of the interviewees for a recent job had failed to show up, with one applicant telling him he could not be bothered.

But a union said workers should not take jobs they do not want.

Ms Waterfield said unemployment was coming down in the East Midlands but "slowly", despite the number of vacancies

Ms Waterfield, who helps people into education and training via the council-run service, said many candidates were choosing to remain unemployed.

"This is what we have had for the last few weeks - it's unbelievable," she said.

"I think of those who do apply, there is so much choice."

She said she understood how those on furlough might be anxious after lockdown, but urged them to make the most of the opportunities available.

"Don't sit on your hands, you've got a lot to offer and boy are there some great jobs out there," she said.

Paul Hartshorn, the director of MR H IT in Blaby, Leicestershire, said just two of the six candidates shortlisted for a recent interview for the role of IT support engineer had shown up.

"I started to wonder if we had given people the wrong address," he said.

"But when I phoned to see where one was, he answered the phone and told me 'I just don't think I can be bothered'."

Paul Hartshorn said when so few candidates showed up for a recent interview, he was concerned they had the wrong address

Diana Holland, assistant general secretary of Unite, said despite the record number of vacancies, workers should not feel under pressure to take jobs they do not want.

"We have had a sustained drop of standards in many sectors and we've come to a crisis where people are thinking, no I don't want to work like that," she added.

"We are at a moment when people are valuing their time, and it's important we look at what is being offered."