Christmas jobs bonanza in recruitment drive

Thousands of jobs will be up for grabs in the West Midlands next month in a bumper Christmas recruitment drive, it was revealed today.

Poundland has announced it is looking for 2,500 workers nationally to help them through the festive season, with many of the jobs at its depots in Willenhall and Bilston.

At least 400 posts need filling in Wolverhampton, where 25 employers including Carillion and Royal Mail will be looking for staff at a jobs fair.

Royal Mail alone needs 300 workers, many at its Sun Street depot in the city, to deal with the festive rush.

In Walsall, around 300 temporary jobs will be on offer at another event which will see employers including BhS, Village Hotel, Matalan and Walsall FC signing up new recruits.

Crowds of more than 1,500 job hunters are expected at both events and businesses say competition is fierce - there could be up to four job hunters for every vacancy.

Elsewhere, Argos will create seasonal jobs at regional stores, including positions at its Acton Gate distribution centre, near Stafford, and TK Maxx says it has been overrun with applications for 250 positions at its distribution centre in Green Lane, Walsall.

The jobs will provide a timely boost for West Midlands employment figures, which fell by 27,000 to 221,000 in August but were still above the national average and saw a four per cent hike in Jobseeker's Allowance claimants in Wolverhampton.

Kerriann Carter, recruitment co-ordinator at Poundland, said it was advertising hundreds more jobs this year after a huge expansion which saw it open shops across the country, including in Cannock's former Woolworths.

The company will advertise within the next fortnight, while jobs fairs take place at the New Art Gallery in Walsall from 10am on September 7, and at the City of Wolverhampton College from 10am on September 10.