National unemployment figures, which hint at a rise in the number of people working part-time rather than full-time, today sparked claims of a worrying trend towards cuts in working hours.

But Shropshire appears to be bucking the trend with employment figures showing the county has maintained a steady split between full and part-time workers over recent years.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics, published yesterday, showed the number of people in full-time employment fell by 57,000 in the latest three months.

But there was a 75,000 increase in part-time workers in the same period.

However, latest employment figures for the Shropshire Council area showed the number of people of working age in full-time work in the year to June 2011 was 94,600.

The number of people with part-time jobs was 37,700. In the year to June 2010, the split was 96,100 in full-time work and 38,100 in part-time work.

But in the year to June 2009, the split was 94,700 in full-time work and 38,300 in part-time work.

Business leaders today said the Shropshire figures appear to show little change over the period because they believe the county’s entrepreneurial spirit is helping to create new opportunities for self-employment.

Ann Johnson, chairman of the Shropshire branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “I think we are bucking the trend.

“Shropshire is a very resilient county and instead of moaning about the job market we are seeing more people trying to work for themselves and become self-sufficient. Gone are the days when we thought employment was the only natural option after leaving college.

“Many young people in Shropshire are being urged to become self-sustaining like their parents had to be before them. We’ve also seen a big move in the county towards voluntary work that we think is from young people trying to get the experience on their CV to pursue the career they trained for.”

See also:

• Jobless total hits 17-year high
• Chris Grayling admits unemployment figures are too high

  Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/01/18/chris-grayling-admits-unemployment-figures-are-too-high/#ixzz1jtXAcQN4