Neil Rami, Chief Executive of Marketing Birmingham, which operates inward investment programme Business Birmingham, commented on today’s announcement that unemployment in the West Midlands fell by 19,000 in the last quarter:

“It is certainly a step in the right direction that the West Midlands has more people in work compared with a year ago. Research from the Regional Observatory shows that new jobs are being created within the local SME community and businesses in the manufacturing sector are also performing well.

“However, we have a long way to go before the region reaches pre-recession levels of employment. While indigenous growth is key to creating jobs, inward investment also has a role to play by introducing new employers to the region.

“In the last year Business Birmingham has helped to create 2200 jobs across Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull by attracting investors to the area. However, in the current climate we face tough competition from locations across the globe. Bringing investors – and much needed jobs – to the region will involve the public and private sectors working more closely together than ever to create the conditions and support packages needed to attract investors.”