MORE people from ethnic minorities are succeeding in getting jobs with Bury Council.

Figures show that the number being appointed jumped from 2.9 per cent of vacancies to 6.7 per cent in the last year. However, they still comprise only two per cent of the total workforce, while the ethnic minority population classed as economically active is 5.6 per cent.

The council's recruitment monitoring report also reveals that 54.6 per cent of successful candidates had caring responsibilities, up by seven per cent.

The number of disabled people appointed went up slightly to 2.2 per cent of vacancies last year. However, they comprise just 1.8 per cent of the workforce, whereas 15.9 per cent of Bury people are disabled and available for work.

On gender, more women (61.5 per cent) than men were appointed, but the majority of posts are at the lower paid end of the scale, which tend to attract more women applicants. At the top end, 40.6 per cent of the most senior managers are women.