WINCHESTER is among the best cities and towns in the UK for finding work according to new figures.

A UK job market report by Adzuna, which is a search engine for job adverts, revealed that Winchester has 0.12 job seekers per job and is the fifth top city and town for finding work.

Winchester’s figures are in stark contrast to cities in the north of England like Sunderland which has 2.5 job seekers per vacancy and Middlesbrough which has 2.21 job seekers per job.

At the top of the list is Cambridge with 0.05 job seekers per vacancy.

Currently there are more than 2,000 jobs available in Winchester, and among the main firms recruiting at the moment are Voyage Care, Exclusive Hotels and Q-Hotels.

Winchester City Council have welcomed the news. A spokesperson from the authority said: “With 83.1 per cent of people in employment – ten percent higher than the national average – we are aware that Winchester already benefits from a resilient economy and low unemployment rates.

“The district already possesses considerable assets as a place to live and work, and has obvious advantages in terms of its connectivity to London and other Hampshire cities.

“Going forward, Winchester City Council is looking to invest across the district to future proof this economy through sensitive development in the city and beyond. In the meantime we’re delighted to have this external acknowledgement that we are in a good place in terms of being a ‘challenger city’.”