Figures from the Office for National Statistics show vacancies for care workers and home carers were the most advertised jobs in the Cumberland Council area between April and June this year, making up 1.5 per cent of live adverts.

This was followed by book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks (1.3 per cent) and vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (1.2 per cent).

Across the UK, the most advertised roles were also care worker and home carer – making up 2.3 per cent of job ads. However, the number of these adverts has fallen by 23 per cent since 2023.

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Meanwhile, adverts for HGV drivers almost doubled in the past year, while early education and childcare practitioners jumped 58 per cent.

The ONS said the level of UK job adverts has been gradually declining since late 2021, and is now similar to pre-pandemic levels at 3.4 adverts per 100 working-age people in August.

In the Cumberland Council area, there were 2.4 adverts per 100 people in August – up from 1.4 in 2019, before the pandemic.