Don’t fear an increasing minimum wage – it helps the country’s poorest June 11, 2015 The great challenge for the government over the next five years is to raise productivity and living standards, while also continuing in its efforts to cut the deficit. Significant reform to planning, skills, tax and regulation will all be necessary. But one regulation which should not be abolished is the National Minimum Wage (NMW). When [...]
City jobs and pay growth boom as more workers look to move June 10, 2015 The number of City jobs new to the market shot up by 13 per cent year-on-year in May, according to figures released today by recruiters Morgan McKinley. Meanwhile, the average increase in pay for someone moving jobs was 18 per cent in May, compared with 19 per cent April. More professionals, both in an out [...]
Flexible jobs market helps UK startups as more British businesses survive first year June 9, 2015 New British businesses are more likely than European firms to survive their first year, consultancy Rousseau Associates said yesterday, as rules on hiring and firing staff are more flexible. Of the 234,000 firms launched in Britain in 2011, 93 per cent lasted at least one year. By contrast only 83 per cent of those in [...]
Graduate job market booming as jobless rate drops to 2007 levels June 9, 2015 Graduates are finding it easier to find employment, figures published yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills reveal. Meanwhile, those who complete post-graduate degrees are set to earn nearly twice as much on average as those who opt not to go university. The employment rate for working age graduates was 87.5 [...]
Being made redundant? This 12-point plan can help you make your next move June 9, 2015 This week has already seen two huge British businesses confirmed widespread redundancies. Yesterday Boots revealed it was cutting up to 700 head office jobs, while today HSBC said as many as 25,000 jobs would be going at the bank, of which 8,000 will be from the UK. For many people nowadays, redundancy is a fact [...]
Most women in finance don’t think they’ll ever get the top jobs, report shows June 9, 2015 Most women working in finance believe they won't make it to a senior position, according to a report by PwC. It claims there is a “perceived lack of career progression” among women, and this is preventing them from trying to rise the ranks. Read more: The world needs more women with top jobs in finance [...]
UK’s skills shortage will get worse if we leave EU, says Manpower boss James Hick June 8, 2015 Britain must stay in the EU to avert a skills crisis in sectors from finance to the NHS, the boss of recruitment firm Manpower told City A.M. yesterday. James Hick said firms are already seeing a shortage of suitable workers and will rely very heavily on the free movement of people within the EU. “It [...]
Why a compulsory living wage is not the best way to help society’s poorest June 8, 2015 The Living Wage Foundation – which lobbies employers to pay £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 elsewhere – has never called for statutory implementation of its cause. It considers itself to be a pragmatic civil society movement, encouraging firms to pay their low-paid workers enough to live comfortably. But the campaign has been hijacked [...]
The UK’s first national steel strike in 30 years could happen this month after Unite schedules Tata Steel action for June 22 June 8, 2015 The UK is facing its first national steel strike for 30 years, after union members voted for action against Tata Steel. Unite the union announced today the strike – agreed last week – would go ahead on June 22. It is part of an ongoing dispute over pensions, with the manufacturer telling workers [...]
Commodity and currency desks lead rapid growth in City hiring as job numbers rise June 7, 2015 City job creation is on the climb thanks to a revival in hiring on banks’ fixed income, commodities and currencies trading desks (Ficc). There were 4,100 new City roles created in May, up 52 per cent on the same month last year, according to figures released today by recruiters Astbury Marsden. It also marks a [...]