Job vacancies in West Midlands rise by nine per cent in year

The 'totaljobs' barometer follows more than 5.2 million jobseekers and 5,000 recruiters each month and is three months ahead of the Office of National Statistics' unemployment statistics.

The biggest rises in vacancies in the last quarter of 2013 are in construction, where the numbers have gone up 50 per cent, and IT, which has risen by 24 per cent. Accountancy was up 19 per cent and transport and logistics by the same percentage, with property rising 16 per cent.

Roma Aitken, regional director at totaljobs.com in the West Midlands, said: "Our barometer figures back up George Osborne's claim that the British economy is in recovery and the West Midlands is no exception.

"Clearly businesses in the region are feeling more optimistic about the future as they take on more staff. The rise in vacancies means there is less competition per job, which is great news for jobseekers.

"Growth in key sectors like construction and property is a strong sign that business people see the region as a safe place to invest – with new homes, hotels and offices springing up throughout the year.

"Just this week we've seen more good news with the University of Birmingham, the West Bromwich building society and David Wilson Homes all announcing major building projects.

"It's also great to see a growth in graduate and training opportunities.

"Youth unemployment has been a real issue for the West Midlands, so I hope to see this trend begin to reverse in 2014."

But it was not an entirely positive outlook for the West Midlands with the engineering, manufacturing and utilities sectors seeing a 17 per cent drop in the number of jobs posted.

Mrs Aitken added: "While we have cause for celebration in the West Midlands, it's important we do not rest on our laurels.

"The decrease in engineering and manufacturing jobs is a cause for concern and more needs to be done to make sure the West Midlands can compete nationally and internationally in these sectors by building a reliable infrastructure, a flexible labour market and skills that are fit for the future growth of the economy."

There has also been a sharp rise in entry level job opportuni ties with graduate and trainee roles up 31 per cent in the region.

In the UK as a whole, accountancy has seen the biggest increases in jobs posted in the last year with a 36 per cent rise.

Other booming industries nationally in 2013 included construction, often seen as a bellwether for the economy at large, which had a 31 per cent rise in the number of available jobs, while catering and hospitality also saw a 20 per cent rise.