SIR – In response to my letter referring to the Worcester News headline story ‘Worcester firm offers 50 jobs – and gets no applications’ (October 11), Chris Mitchell wrote that ‘if someone is unemployed and genuinely looking for work, any work, then 2.5 hours’ (notice) is plenty of time’ (October 29) .

While it may have been feasible for people to get to Consistent Personnel’s office in this time – presuming that they had managed to read the e-mail very soon after it was sent and were in or near Worcester – this does not take into account their unique circumstances.

As someone commented on the original article: ‘within that 2,000 (unemployed), there are going to be single parents who can’t afford the childcare to work a night shift, people physically unable to walk for 40 minutes, women concerned about their safety walking at night, etc.’ In addition to a living wage, people need adequate time to make arrangements that make it possible to accept certain jobs.

NEIL LAURENSON

Worcester