Needs Analysis 2022 FLIP - Manual / Resource - Page 16
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4. Employability and skills training
Folkestone and Hythe is ranked third for unemployment
in the county. Although there has been a 2.2% drop since
February 2021, the position is 10.2% higher than in April
2020.68 Furthermore, whilst other areas which are
further down the ranking in terms of overall
unemployment have had a higher percentage rise since
April 2020 (e.g. Maidstone 5.2% overall figure,
0.8% change since February 2021, 27.5% increase since
last April 2021), this lower Covid-19 related increase
indicates the longer standing unemployment problem
in Folkestone and Hythe. Folkestone and Hythe also has
the third highest unemployment figure for 18–24-yearolds at 11.9%.69
10.1% of the population have never used the
internet in Folkestone and Hythe which may be a
reflection on the high elderly population and the
level of poverty and deprivation, but it is also a barrier to
employment.70
5. Support and skills development for
entrepreneurs
Folkestone and Hythe is an area that abounds
with creativity and enterprise with many independent
businesses, however the business birth to death figure
is high and the Kent Recovery Vulnerability scale
identified Folkestone and Hythe as being vulnerable in
several enterprise sectors following lockdowns.
In 2020, 16.3% of people were self-employed which is
6% higher than the average in the South East and 7%
higher than UK.72
There were 3360 small enterprises (micro businesses) in
2020. Businesses in accommodation and food suffered
the greatest drop in output during the pandemic with a
71.7% output loss across Kent and Medway.73
Folkestone and Hythe has the fourth lowest workplace
earnings in the South East.71
Rates for anxiety have risen from 2 (on a scale of 1-10) to
3.5 across the population in the space of 5 years
NEEDS ANALYSIS
