While ONS data shows a worsening jobs market, Starting Point Recruitment says there are still “numerous opportunities”
There are “numerous opportunities for motivated jobseekers” in the West Midlands despite more people chasing fewer jobs, multi-sector consultancy Starting Point Recruitment said today.
The national jobless rate rose from 4.8% to 5% in the three months to September, hitting the highest level since December 2020, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey.
West Midlands unemployment rate at 6%
In the West Midlands region, the unemployment rate for the period was 6%, still notably higher than the UK average despite reducing slightly.
Analysts said the drop in payrolled employees is being driven by increased employment costs, including rises in minimum wage and National Insurance contributions.
The number of unemployed people per vacancy was 2.5 from July to September 2025 – up from 2.3 in the previous quarter (April to June 2025), and up from 1.8 in the same period a year ago.
‘There are still numerous opportunities for motivated jobseekers’
Paul Cadman, chief executive of Starting Point Recruitment (SPR), which has offices in Walsall and Birmingham, said: “Today’s jobs market figures from the ONS make for bleak reading: in summary, more people chasing fewer jobs.
“But there are still numerous opportunities for motivated jobseekers wanting to get back into work and people looking to progress their careers.
“Across Birmingham and the West Midlands right now many organisations are looking to hire people in the growth sectors that are shaping the future of our region’s economy, including in life sciences and tech, each specialist areas for us. We also have a raft of roles across the manufacturing, engineering and professional services sectors.”
According to the ONS, national vacancy numbers are broadly unchanged quarter on quarter, standing currently at 723,000 from August to October 2025.
Total estimated vacancies were down by 99,000 (12.0%) between August to October 2025 compared to the same period a year ago.
