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You are in: South Yorkshire > Credit Crunch > The job market in South Yorkshire

The Downturn

The job market in South Yorkshire

By August 2008 the number of people out of work in the UK had risen to 1.79 million, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics. How is South Yorkshire's job market affected?

This page was last updated at 13:30, 6th July 2009.

How is South Yorkshire's job market affected? Each week, this page will be updated with job losses announced by the county's businesses, which we are aware of - and conversely, any expanding companies which are creating jobs.

If you have information about a company which has shed or created jobs in South Yorkshire that we have not featured, use the form at the bottom of the page to tell us about it.

July 2009

+ 250 new jobs are being created in Chesterfield. CPP Ltd, is taking on more staff for its call centre at West Bars.Ìý

June 2009

- Steelmaker Corus has announced another round of job cuts in Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Scunthorpe. Hundreds of jobs were axed in January and now the steel company is having to axe almost 2000 more jobs at UK plants, including Teesside, Scunthorpe and Rotherham. The company says more job cuts are needed at all three South Yorkshire plants to match the reduction in the demand for steel; Corus' order book stands at just 25% of the levels it was a year ago.

Up to 800 jobs may go at Rotherham and Stocksbridge while about 500 white-collar jobs could go at Scunthorpe, and 375 in Teesside and Scotland. There have been calls for the government to step in and help the steel industry as it has done with the car industry, but so far there has been little response.

May 2009

= A Sheffield architects practice could be making sixty five staff redundant. Bond Bryan have been hit by funding problems with the learning and skills councils college rebuilding programme.

- 50 jobs are being cut at the Sheffield construction group SIG. However this should not affect workers in South Yorkshire as the majority of the losses will be international posts and those based in the South of England.

= Manufacturing giant Hitachi have been in Sheffield (May 2009) due to the company shortlisting a site in the city for a new plant. A decision is expected to be made by the end of this year. The plant could create up to 500 jobs - the firm is also looking at sites in Leeds, the East Midlands and Gateshead.

= Doncaster College has abandoned plans to make redundancies. 150 jobs were at risk as part of plans to restructure the college. But the college has now confirmed the plans have been dropped. It comes after the College Principle Rowland Foote was suspended pending an investigation into the College's finances. The University and College Union says it's delighted.

April 2009

- There's been another blow for steel workers in South Yorkshire. Firth Rixson Forgings which is based in Meadowhall has confirmed it's cutting between 40 and 60 jobs.

- More jobs are going at the stainless steel company Outokumpu in Sheffield. The company announced in January 50 redundancies - now another 110 workers are being laid off.

+ From the Budget in April 2009.
A pioneering project starting in South Yorkshire to improve broadband access could create 7 thousand jobs. The local authorities in Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield, have together pulled in investment of over 90 million pounds for the scheme which was in this year's budget.

+ From the Budget in April 2009.
Plans to build a state of the art carbon capture power station alongside Hatfield colliery has moved a step forward. The Government announced that funding would be raised by introducing a levy on people's electricity bills by 2020. If it gets the go ahead the power station could be operational by 2014 leading to thousands of new jobs.

- Apollo Travel Direct announced on 3rd April that 150 jobs would be lost with the closure of a travel call centre in Rotherham. Apollo is part of the Co-Operative travel group. 70 people have been found other posts within the company, but it's not clear whether the other 80 have.

- Insurance giant Aviva announced that it was cutting 1,700 jobs. Fifty four permanent staff and 43 contracted staff in Sheffield will lose their jobs. The union Unite says that Aviva staff in York and Norwich will be the hardest hit.

March 2009

- Union officials will meet workers at RBS in Rotherham after it was announced in March that cuts will be made. The bank said it wanted to shed 100 jobs from the department handling Lombard Direct, Direct Line and MINT personal loans. It's hoped that up to 50 people could be redeployed.

- The pool and snooker club firm Rileys has gone into administration - with 200 positions being axed. Locally this affects 13 jobs which will be lost in Rotherham.

+ Davy Markham a local engineering firm has been taken on 15 new staff due to a rise in large orders.

+ Hundreds of jobs could be created in Sheffield if plans to build a new supermarket go ahead for a multi-million pound regeneration scheme for the Southey and Owlerton areas. The proposals include a medical centre, library, learning centre, shops and a new public square.

- South Yorkshire's Probation Service says it can't guarantee that compulsory redundancies will be avoided, after announcing job losses. It's shedding up to 40 posts from it's workforce of around 650.

- Between fifty and a hundred jobs are being cut at Sheffield city council as part of efficiency savings. The leader of the City Council says a council tax increase agreed is the lowest ever in Sheffield. Councillors voted in favour of a 1.95% rise.

- The call centre company Ventura is rejecting reports that up to 150 staff in the Dearne valley are at risk of redundancy. The company says if there are any redundancies it will only involve a small number of workers.

- Unions representing railways workers say they'll ballot their members for strike action after East Midlands Trains announced it's cutting 162 jobs.

- Comet's confirmed that there's an uncertain future for 20 people working at the Service Centre in Barnsley.The company announced plans to close the centre as part of wider restructuring. The service centre in Barnsley will be merged with a base in Leeds.

February 2009

- 150Ìý jobs in Thorne are at risk at a DHL-owned warehouse which distributes MFI goods. MFI is in administration and DHL say that unless another tennant can be found, the warehouse which opened 14 months ago will close.

- The electrical company Morphy Richards which has plants in Adwick and Mexborough are planning on making job cuts. A possible 28 posts could go. The company is blaming the credit crunch and the fall in demand for household electrical goods.

- The House builder Taylor Wimpey is consulting with staff over the closure of its George Wimpey South Yorkshire regional office in Sheffield. It's not clear yet how many jobs are at risk.

-Ìý The web-based travel firm Alpharooms is cutting 25 percent of its workforce: a total of 30 workers in Sheffield. It says it's reviewing the business to ensure it continues to trade profitably in the current economic climate.

- Music chain Zavvi has closed its store on Fargate in Sheffield, with the loss of 21 jobs.

- Between 18 and 20 jobs are to go from the Burngreave New Deal for Communities project in Sheffield. There are currently 35 posts at the project.

- Shoe retailer OSC has gone into administration with the loss of 400 jobs nationally. Forty five stores, including one in Barnsley, have already shut. The branch at Meadowhall and 31 others will stay open for the time being.

+ Unions have given a cautious welcome to the news that new Super Express trains are to be introduced on the line from Doncaster to London. There will also be a servicing depot for the new trains in Doncaster. Sheffield is one of three places bidding to build a new factory to construct the trains. It is reported that around 12000 will be created or safeguarded because of the project.

- Some of the top bosses at the organisation that manages Rotherham's council housing could soon be out of a job due to restructuring. Eleven senior managers at 2010Rotherham have been told they're at risk of redundancy.

+ A new 'green' power station for Hatfield in South Yorkshire has been given the go ahead.ÌýAround 500 people will be employed for the construction of the power station.

- Around thirty jobs are under threat at the Dixons call centre in Sheffield. Capita which runs the site says a consultation process is starting which could result in twenty six team leader posts being cut. There may also be a further six redundancies shared between business support sections at its Sheffield and Nottingham sites.

- The Zavii store at Meadowhall is closing, Administrators hope the remaining 31 stores, including the one in Sheffield city centre can be sold as a going concern.

- A quarter of South Yorkshire's probation service is under threat. The service is setÌý to have 1.3 million pounds slashed from it's government funding. A total of 170 out of 670 jobs in the region will be lost over the next three years.

- 30 council workers in North East Derbyshire look set to lose their jobs. The council says that it has to save half a million pounds, while keeping council tax rises down to around 2.9% - so job cuts are needed. The council's hopeful there won't be any need for compulsory redundancies.

January 2009

+ Fosters bakey in Mapplewell, Barnsley are recruiting 16 new members of staff due to a rise in orders from the supermarket chain Asda and Boots.

- The bottle making firm Ardagh Glass is cutting 170 jobs at its plants in Barnsley and Wheatley, near Doncaster. A company spokesman told Â鶹ԼÅÄ radio Sheffield that the economic outlook for 2009 means that they need to reduce production.

- Steelmaker Corus has confirmed that it is cutting 3500 jobs worldwide. The announcement comes after Corus, like all steel firms, has seen a substantial fall in demand. Corus is a subsidiary of India's Tata Steel and they currently employ 24,000 people in the UK and 42,000 worldwide. 2500 jobs will probably be lost in the UK including 713 in Rotherham and 93 in Scunthorpe. The rest will go from Corus plants in Wales.

- The parcel carrier firm Â鶹ԼÅÄ Delivery Network is undergoing restructuring and closing eight depots, including its Sheffield base which will see a loss of 53 jobs. Managers say the home shopping sector has seen a steady decline over the last few years and these redundancies are not a direct result of the economic downturn.

- 50 jobs are being cut at the stainless steel company Outokumpu in Sheffield. It's cutting the number of shifts at its Melting Shop from 18 a week to 15 due to a lack of demand for steel. The company say job cuts will take place in the coming months and that management will provide support for those losing their jobs.

- Specialist quiche manufacturer Thomas Food Group says the site at Halfway in Sheffield is making a loss. 107 jobs are under threat. Managers say they're likely to move production to their site in Milton Keynes although there maybe opportunities for some workers to transfer.

- Abbey in Sheffield which is now part of the Santander bank group has confirmed it's looking at moving its e-commerce division to Belfast which could affect 60 jobs in the area.

+ The former Woolworths store on the Mall in Barnsley town centre is to be turned in to the frozen food store Iceland. It is anticipated that the store will open in April 2009. Mall manager Mark Broadhead hopes that former Woolworths staff will be given work there.

- Luxury clothing brand Burberry is to close its plant in Rotherham in South Yorkshire, with the loss of 170 jobs (20/01/09). The only remaining UK plants will be at Castleford and Keighley in West Yorkshire.

- Jobs in the finance sector in Sheffield could also be at risk.ÌýAbbey, part of the Santander group, is looking at moving it's e-commerce division to Belfast. The proposal is still under review, but if the department based in Attercliffe does move then up to 60 jobs could be lost.

+ Good news from the Sheffield based camping and clothing firm GO Outdoors, which used to be called CCC. The company has 11 shops and 550 staff at the moment but plans to open another 19 stores by the end of 2011 - taking on up to 1000 more workers.

- Electrical goods retailer Empire Direct has gone into administration. The Leeds-based firm traded mainly online but also had 14 UK stores which have now closed - including one in Doncaster. 158 jobs have been lost across the company.

- Doncaster electrical company Miller Brothers has gone into administration. 30 jobs have already been lost and 80 more are at risk (total 110).

- Children's clothing retailer Adams is closing its shops in Leeds, Wakefield, Chesterfield, Doncaster and Mansfield, meaning about 40 redundancies altogether.

- Eight Woolworths stores in our region closed on Tuesday 6th January - the final ones in the country to close, putting around 250 people out of work across Yorkshire this week.

+Aldi hope to create about 450 jobs with the opening of 18 stores and a distribution centre in Yorkshire - a question mark hangs over these, however.

+ The Greggs bakery chain plans to create more than 100 jobs by expanding in the region.

December 2008

+ Construction company Laing O'Rourke held recruitment fairs in early December to find people to work at a new manufacturing plant near Worksop. The company is looking to fill 270 new posts at the site which is being built on the former Baker Refractory site in Steetley. They need engineers, maintenance staff, operatives and a range of commercial and administrative staff.

- Over 500 people are being made redundant at a rail freight company EWS based in Doncaster. EWSÌýis the UK's largest freight rail firm and will be axing 530 posts. At least 100 of them are expected to go in South Yorkshire.

November 2008

- Insulation specialist 'SIG' is the latest firm in the construction sector to announce staff cuts. It's confirmed it's axing fewer than 100 jobs in South Yorkshire. Nationwide it will be closing 65 trading sites resulting in 800 job losses.

- Sheffield Museums are to cut four posts from its sites which are spread across the city.

- Yorkshire Bank is planning to shed up to 30 jobs in Yorkshire - announcements have not been made yet about where the losses will be; they could be in North, South or West Yorkshire.

- Virgin Media has announced 2200 jobs to go across the country, and there are likely to be redundancies at Virgin Media in Sheffield. 900 people work there but it's not clear yet how many jobs will go in Sheffield.

- Chesterfield firm The Fusion Group - which works in the gas, water and electricity markets, has announced up to 50 posts could go across the group's UK manufacturing and distribution business. The Fusion board says it's aware as a major employer in Chesterfield that redundancies could have a knock-on effect on local suppliers, and say they'll work to minimise job cuts as much as possible.

- Administrators of the Rotherham-based home furnishing group Rosebys have sold 77 stores safeguarding 495 jobs. The stores have been bought by Edinburgh Woollen Mill clothing chain. But KPMG has been forced to close 59 stores, resulting in a further 310 job losses. Rosebys went into adminstration at the end of September;Ìý201 of the group's 278 branches have closed and more than 1200 people have been made redundant.

October 2008

After the biggest leap in unemployment for seventeen years the Government is making an extra £100 million available to help get people back to work.

In South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and Bassetlaw the number of people who have lost jobs increased by more than 3000 to 30,304.ÌýÌý

- Dearne FM - three laid off

- Speed Frame in Goldthorpe, Rotherham - 300 redundancies

September 2008

- Sheffield Â鶹ԼÅÄs - 200 jobs to go over 18 months

- Outokumpo Sheffield - 230 redundancies

- Barnsley Council - 100 admin posts being cut

- Optare, Rotherham - 220 jobs to go

August 2008

- Sheffield Star - 5 jobs to go

Earlier in 2008

- July - Barratts house building company - 1000 jobs cut,Ìý including closure of Sheffield and Chester offices

- June - South Yorkshire Police -Ìý150 jobs
Doncaster Council Library ServicesÌý- 30 jobs
Aviva Insurance in Sheffield - 300 jobs
Raleys Solicitors in Barnsley - 75 jobs

- May - Pollards Tea and Coffee company in Sheffield - 13 redundancies

- April - E. Pawson & Sons Haulage firm, Rotherham - 180Ìý jobs

Jobs created

But in spite of the banking crisis, new jobs have been created in South Yorkshire since August so it's not all doom and gloom. These include the following in 2008:

January 2009

+Aldi hope to create about 450 jobs with the opening of 18 stores and a distribution centre in Yorkshire - a question mark hangs over these, however.

+ The Greggs bakery chain plans to create more than 100 jobs by expanding in the region.

October 2008

+ Yorkshire Windows have taken on 18 people between 20th-30th October
+ D. A. Cooper & Sons - 20 new jobs
+ Laminates Limited in Sheffield - 200 new jobs

August 2008

+ The NHS in Barnsley launched a campaign to attract nurses to the town because of a shortage.

And earlier in 2008...

July 2008
+ New power station for Tinsley Towers site - 25 new jobs

May 2008
+ The Ecodome in Chesterfield has been given the go ahead - potentially 1000 new jobs

April 2008
+ UK Coal announced plans to reopen Harworth colliery which would mean 180 jobs from 2009, potentially rising to 400.

:: MORE HELP

If you have been made redundant and need help, there are lots of organisations that can help. Visit our list of places you can go for help and advice by clicking on the link below.

Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio Sheffield's 'Get That Job' campaign is also running workshops in the Open Centre (Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio Sheffield, 54 Shoreham Street, Sheffield, S1 4RS). Details of workshops and when they're running can be found here:

If you have information about job losses or newly created jobs that we have not included, please let us know.

Disclaimer

Contributions are accepted in good faith and submission is no guarantee they will be broadcast. Submission implies acceptance. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ may use the contribution for any outlet, be it radio, TV, or new media services. No payment will be made for such use.

last updated: 06/07/2009 at 13:32
created: 21/10/2008

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