Life is looking up for a young man who has landed a job at a Spalding department store after months of searching - and according to latest statistics it’s all down to a jobs boom across the district.
Sam Hinde (21) joined the staff at Beales department store in the Market Place as a part-time sales assistant two months ago.
But Sam, of Fleet Hargate, won’t be the only one to enjoy being in work on the run-up to Christmas because the store is currently advertising for Christmas part-timers.
Across South Holland, Spalding Jobcentre has 754 vacancies, with an average of two people for every job - far less than any other region.
Unemployment in September was 1,440 - down 250 on February. The figure represents 2.9 per cent of the population of South Holland, compared with 3.5 per cent in the East Midlands and 3.8 per cent across Great Britain.
Vickie Chapman, assistant director of Beales, said: “We now have eight full-timers and 20 part-timers.
“Sales are certainly starting to improve and, after losing staff 18 months ago in the takeover, we are now able to build up our team and invest in training again.
”Hopefully, if this carries on we will be able to make the part-time jobs full-time.”
Sam said: “This job means everything to me. I’d applied for about 50 jobs and was at my wits’ end. It’s part-time but I’m just happy to be working.”