DORSET’S job economy appears to be improving to a greater level than prior to the pandemic, according to data collected by the county’s local enterprise partnership (LEP).

In June this year 7,559 jobs were posted, which is more than double the 3,398 advertised in the midst of the pandemic last year and higher than the 4,849 posted in 2019.

Head of enterprise, skills and industry at the partnership Rebecca Davies said the vacancy market had been “reaching highs last seen in 2018”.

Speaking with the Echo, she said: “Seeing the vacancies in Dorset returning to levels seen in 2018 is a good sign of recovery across our local businesses, but the report also looks at some additional drivers in labour demand.”

Rebecca said driving factors were the large number of businesses reopening, staff unable to return to the UK, a general shortage of non-UK workers for low skilled jobs and structural labour shortages.

She said: “We see this growth in vacancies as an opportunity for the local economy and the people of Dorset.

“The report shows that the past year has been transformative for many of our local residents’ livelihoods and careers.”

“While the largest number of vacancies were advertised in the urban centres of Bournemouth and Poole, growth in opportunities existed across the county and trends across localities were returning to ‘normal’.”

In total there have been 36,985 job vacancies in Dorset so far this year, which is 42 per cent up on last year and one per cent better than the UK average.

Registered general nurses have been the most in demand job in 2021 with 1,558 vacancies in Dorset, followed by software developers and engineers at 1,164, caregivers at 1,117 and office and administrative assistants at 1,109 – which made up the in-demand jobs with more than 1,000 job advertisements across the county.

The demand for information and communication jobs has grown 139 per cent so far in 2021 compared with 2020, the biggest demand percentage increase.

While education vacancies were the smallest increase at six per cent.

The “opening and closing of the economy based on restrictions’’ means Dorset will see “peaks and falls” in recovery, as filling the vacancies becomes key.

Rebecca added: “We need a joined-up thinking and creative approaches in utilising and retaining existing talent, but also thinking outside the box when it comes to talent attraction and working on strong and innovative collaborations between businesses and training providers."

Of the 19 industries listed, 16 all had vacancy levels in the second quarter at least 100 per cent more than the same period last year.

With Dorset known to have “seasonality in demand” for labour, being stronger over the first three quarters, it is a trend “likely to return” so the sustainability of the vacancies is uncertain.