500 apply for just seven Walsall jobs
More than 500 job hunters applied for just seven new posts at a £500,000 store opening at a retail park, bosses revealed today.
Pets at Home is taking over the former Dreams unit at Reedswood Retail Park in Walsall with doors due to open next month.
The pet supplies retailer is fitting out the 8,922sq ft store ahead of the launch on February 21 and more than 520 applications were received for the seven jobs.
The figures lay bare the scale of unemployment in the region.
In Walsall there were 8,120 claiming jobseeker's allowance with 129,248 across the whole of the West Midlands. The new store will be the second one in the borough adding to Pets at Home unit at Bescot Retail Park, near to Walsall Football Club.
The new branch, off Reedswood Way, between Walsall town centre and Bloxwich, will provide thousands of dedicated pet products catering for dogs, cats, small animals and more.
Area manager, Adam Wilcock, said there was a strong demand from Walsall pet owners for the store.
"Pets at Home is committed to recruiting from the local area and I'm pleased we've found a team of talented individuals in Walsall. They're all extremely passionate about pets and can't wait to get started."
Pets at Home, founded in 1991, has more than 370 sites across the UK employing more than 6,000 people.
