THE latest Jersey Labour Market Report, published at the end of last week, paints an interesting picture of employment patterns in the Island.

Although other data has shown that unemployment is at a ten-year high, opportunities are, apparently, still being created, though last year they were roughly balanced by major job losses in certain sectors.

More than 400 jobs were lost in finance in 2008, which will come as no surprise to anyone who is aware of the impact of the global recession on our principal industry. It is likely – and it is certainly to be hoped – that new finance positions will be created as the recession recedes and business activity increases.

There were also job losses in the hospitality sector, though there were 320 new posts in wholesale and retail and 130 in miscellaneous business activities.

The 450 new jobs recorded might seem to fly in the face of the principle that economic downturn leads only to redundancies, but it is significant that the Labour Market Report says nothing about the quality of positions. That said, the States statistics unit has confirmed that many of the wholesale and retail opportunities were part-time, perhaps reflecting the relative prosperity of the fulfilment industry.

In the meantime, 140 public sector jobs were either created or filled, meaning that the States workforce, excluding those employed in trading areas, totalled 6,790 at the end of last year.

Although Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur has offered assurances that of the 140 jobs identified in the report, only 40 were entirely new posts, it is hard to reconcile last year’s public sector trend with other assurances about the necessity for major cutbacks in the States sector.

It is, of course, possible that this year will see no further growth in public employent. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that the annual savings target of £50 million can be met without the actual loss of public sector jobs.

As Senator Le Sueur has said of the figures in general, the Island has held up well in terms of jobs in spite of the depth of the recession. In this, we are fortunate, but if government promises about cuts are to be honoured, the balance of job figures in the next few years will change, with controlled public sector shrinkage balanced by an increase in job opportunities of other kinds.