Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Hundreds of young people have had jobs in Carmarthen thanks to town centre development. Latest figures reveal that the number of jobseekers aged between 18 and 24 has fallen by over a third since this time last year – from 995 to 645. Many young claimants have found work in Carmarthen town centre through the opening of new shops and businesses. Jobcentre Employer and Partnerships Manager Menna Davies said: “The retail and hospitality sectors have contributed considerably to these reductions over the last six months, with Carmarthen town showing particular buoyancy with several major recruitments with national businesses and small medium size enterprises also showing signs of confidence and recruiting again.” Unemployment generally has fallen across Carmarthenshire with a decrease of 23% over a period of 12 months. The number of claimants went down from 3,211 in June 2013 to 2,472 in June this year, and continues to fall with a further decrease of 6.8%, or 181 people, in the last mon...

The search is on for a High Street hero to help promote Carmarthen town centre. People with interesting or unusual stories to tell are being sought to promote the national High Street campaign. It could be someone who goes that extra mile to get the best possible service; a business owner or employee who is a real character and attracts customers; traders with an unusual background or hobby; a third or fourth generation shop owner which has been trading in the town centre for many years; or maybe someone who has left and established career to set up their dream business. Anyone with a story to tell is being asked to share their experiences to help promote Carmarthen town centre as part of the High Street campaign. Carmarthenshire County Council is encouraging people to support the campaign, executive board member for business Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “We know that everyone has a story to tell about why they decided to set up their own business, and we would like to hear anything unu...