A Jobcentre manager believes employment opportunities in Braintree are flourishing after the latest jobless figures for the town fell to a pre-recession level.

Dave Cope said a wider variety of vacancies are becoming available in Braintree, including a higher number of opportunities in the semi-skilled market, such as roles in technology and construction.

Mr Cope added: “Recruitment is extremely healthy in Braintree at the moment.
“We’re seeing a really healthy number of vacancies across all sorts of sectors.
“We’re speaking to employers on a daily basis and they are ready to recruit and that wasn’t the case a couple of months ago.”

Mr Cope said employers were under no obligation to hire staff from the Braintree area when they set up shop here, but his team have worked with Marks and Spencers and Toby Carvery to enable a “significant” number of former claimants back into work.

The two new outlets have generated about 100 new jobs between them.