At last a set of figures to lift the economic doom and gloom - Newham is top of the nation’s top ten for job vacancies.

Figures released by the Department for Works and Pensions have shown that there was an increase of 3,107 job vacancies in the borough in the 12 months between October 2010 and October 2011.

Mayor Sir Robin Wales said: “Newham’s number one priority is to get our residents into work. Organisations like Westfield, John Lewis Partnership, and Aspers have been instrumental in working with the council to secure thousands of jobs for local people through Workplace our one-stop employment shop in conjunction with Job Centre Plus.

“This is why despite the tough economic climate Newham has seen the largest increase in the number of jobs advertised across the country, resulting in more than 2,000 residents employed within the Westfield Stratford City development.

“However just having the jobs available isn’t enough. Through Skills Place Newham, our retail and hospitality academy, we are ensuring that our residents have the relevant skills and training to not only benefit from these employment opportunities but to develop these jobs into fulfilling careers.”

Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling said: “We know times are tough, but people also need to know that there are jobs out there with many areas across the country seeing an increase in the number of vacancies available at Jobcentre Plus compared to last year.”

Lauren Kilbey from Jobcentre Plus said: “At Local Authority level, Newham in London saw the largest increase in the number of vacancies at Jobcentre Plus, which is most likely driven by preparations for the Olympic Games.”