David Cameron says Libor scandal bank fines will help fund £200m apprenticeship plan for the unemployed April 27, 2015 David Cameron is to announce today a £200m fund aimed at creating 50,000 new apprenticeships for young unemployed people. Money from Libor fines is being used to create the three year fund, which is part of the Conservatives’ plan to abolish long-term youth unemployment, a spokesperson said. “It all comes back to our values: being [...]
These are the five industries where employers are desperate to hire new graduates April 27, 2015 As the end of the semester approaches, a new crop of graduates are about to be unleashed, wide-eyed, on one of the most competitive jobs markets in years. How can they get the edge over their peers? New research has suggested the industries where companies are desperate to hire graduates include IT, where 39 per [...]
More shoppers are supporting living wages April 26, 2015 Public sentiment toward the living wage campaign – the campaign to get employers to pay workers a calculated wage higher than the minimum wage – is on the climb. A survey published today by financial services firm KPMG found that seven out of 10 UK adults would consciously shop in favour of a retail chain [...]
It’s crunch time for the UK’s skills shortage: Our politicians must wake up April 26, 2015 Following the launch of the election manifestos, voters will be looking to understand exactly where each party is positioned on key issues from immigration and foreign policy to the NHS. Yet there is one area which still needs particular attention: addressing the UK’s skills shortages. This means making sure that British businesses have the right [...]
Hurrah – wage growth to hit three per cent in 2015 April 21, 2015 Wage growth in the UK will rise to three per cent in 2015, a new report reckons – that's 0.5 percentage points higher than the average increase in 2014. Set against inflation, which is forecast to average out at 0.2 per cent in 2015 (by some estimates, we may even slip into deflation), the research, [...]
Full-time job hires pick up in the City as skills shortage persists April 20, 2015 City firms are significantly more likely to hire full-time, permanent employees than they were a year ago, according to a new report out today. There were 32 per cent more permanent roles available in the Square Mile in the first quarter of this year than there were in the first quarter of 2014, according to [...]
City recruiter Morgan McKinley records big jump in job openings April 19, 2015 The second quarter will see a robust jobs market in the City, according to a new report out today. The number of job openings in financial services in London increased by 19 per cent in the past month, according to recruiter Morgan McKinley’s latest London employment monitor. The jump in job openings coincided with virtually [...]
UK employment rate hit record high of 73.4 per cent in February April 17, 2015 Britain's employment rate has risen to its highest level since comparable records began around 44 years ago, which could provide a boost to the Tories and Lib Dems as they gear up for the General Election. The final jobs and earnings before the election, released today by the Office for National Statistics, showed the number of people [...]
Zero hours, infinite rows: Is job growth stagnating or recovering? A look at Britain’s labour market April 12, 2015 Expect a screaming match this Friday – the jobs numbers are out. It isn’t every day that official statistics generate this much excitement, but we are in the middle of an election campaign. Economists expect another fall in unemployment, a decent rise in the number of jobs and another month of wages rising faster than [...]
Survey points to high business optimism and strong hiring plans April 12, 2015 Businesses are planning to take on more workers over the coming months, according to survey figures released today by accountancy firm BDO. BDO’s employment index – an indicator of hiring intentions – scored 113 in March. Despite it being marginally lower than February’s 113.1, it is far above the long-term average of 100. Firms also [...]