Wiltshire to lose 3,000 jobs, says council (From Swindon Advertiser)

Wiltshire to lose 3,000 jobs, says council

A new report commissioned by Wiltshire County Council predicts that 3,000 jobs will be lost in the economic downturn.

The report - compiled by GWE Business West - looks at the period from June 2008 to June 2009 and estimates that Wiltshire workplaces will shed a total of 3,000 people by June 2009 if national trends persist.

Wiltshire's workplace output will decline by around £115 million, a two percent fall from its level in June 2008.

Within the county, West Wiltshire and North Wiltshire will each lose around 800 to 900 workplace jobs, whilst Kennet is expected to see around half their losses at around 450 workplace jobs, says the report.

Of Wiltshire's 20 Community Areas, the hardest hit workplace economies, in terms of the volumes of losses, will be Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham, each losing around 500, 400 and 300 jobs respectively. The report predicts that Marlborough will shed 11 jobs in manufacturing, 15 in construction, 40 in distribution, hotels and restaurants, nine in transport and communications, and 34 in banking, finance and insurance.

Pewsey is likely to lose five jobs in manufacturing, 12 in construction, 11 in distribution, hotels and restaurants, two in transport and communications but none in banking, insurance and finance.

And the authors reckon that unemployment in the Marlborough community area will increase from the relatively low base of 80 people in June 2008 to 236 in June 2009, an increase of 195 percent.

In the Pewsey area, the number of unemployed will increase from 60 to 132 - an increase of 120 percent - over the same period.

However, among the community areas, the greatest skilled job volume losses - people like managers and senior officials, professional occupations, associate professional and technical and skilled trades - will come from Chippenham, Trowbridge and Wootton Bassett while the greatest shares of skilled job losses as a percentage of losses within the area will be found in Pewsey, Malmesbury and Marlborough.

The fact that Marlborough businesses in premises with a rateable value of less than £15,000 may qualify for rate relief, comes as welcome news from Kennet District Council. The revelation came following a meeting of Marlborough Chamber of Commerce.

While it appears that many businesses believed Marlborough was excluded from the Small Business Rate Relief scheme, it transpires there may have been some confusion with the Rate Relief for Businesses in Rural Areas scheme - well worth looking at for businesses in the sticks.

But relief does not come automatically - individual businesses must apply for it. Guidelines are at www.kennet.gov.uk/business/business-rates/business-rate-reduction while Trudy Fisher, the council's rate relief officer, is happy to talk to business owners on 01380 724911 extension 734730.