Chorley tops North West employment tables

The employment rate in the borough was 84.2 per cent up to September 2015, an increase from 79.5 per cent the year before.

It puts Chorley at the top of the pile in the region, beating the North West average of 70.6 per cent and the national average of 73.4 per cent.

The figure stands at 71.1 per cent in Preston and 73.8 per cent in South Ribble.

The latest figures come as Chorley Council looks to put more investment into encouraging new businesses to the borough, bringing further jobs.

Coun Alistair Bradley, council leader, said: “One of our main aims is to get people into work because we believe residents in employment lead more fulfilling lives and play a more active part in their community.

“We have focussed our efforts on bringing new employers into town as well as encouraging those that are already here to expand and take on more staff.

“We’ve been able to do this by providing advice and support, a range of different grants and we work with employers to make sure as many of the jobs as possible in Chorley got to residents of the borough.”

The council has the Choose Chorley For Business campaign, which has led to the creation of almost 300 jobs in the last year and more than £1.25m of private investment.

The new jobs are being created from new start-ups through to multi-national companies choosing to relocate and expand in the borough.

Coun Bradley said: “The figures show that what we are doing as a council, in partnership with other organisations such as Job Centre Plus, is having an impact.

“We’re not only working with businesses to create new jobs, we are working with residents to help them get them back into employment whether that’s through building self-esteem and giving them skills such as interview techniques.”

Chorley’s MP Lindsay Hoyle has been involved in the campaign and highlighted the borough’s location, transport links, brownfield sites and good schools as reasons why it is a good place for businesses.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted with these figures.

“We won’t take our eye off the ball - we continue to promote Chorley.”

Mr Hoyle said he has told Communities Secretary Greg Clark about Chorley and he plans to visit.