As the Bank of England predicts low inflation for longer, is real wage growth here to stay? November 12, 2014 Rob Wood is chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, says Yes. Real wage growth is here to stay, but it’s important to keep some perspective. We are finally seeing wages rise above inflation, partly because petrol and food price falls have dragged the latter down. Money wage growth remains weak, if better than a few [...]
UK unemployment sticks at 6 per cent – as wage growth finally rises above inflation November 12, 2014 UK unemployment remained flat at six per cent in the three months to September, slightly missing analyst expectations, official statistics published this morning showed. In total there were 30.79m people in work, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was 112,000 more than for April to June 2014 and 694,000 more than for a year [...]
Honey, I‘ve shrunk your bonus November 10, 2014 Bonuses on Wall Street could be down as much as 10 per cent for some professionals this year, according to a closely watched survey by consulting firm Johnson Associates. Overall, the firm expects 2014 bonuses to be flat compared with last year. However, the size of bonuses varies significantly across the industry. Stock and bond [...]
Wage growth could be sluggish due to increasing labour supply November 10, 2014 Employment intentions remain high but wages may not pick up due to an increasing supply of labour, an industry body has said. Near-term employment expectations are at a seven-year high, according to survey results published yesterday by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a human resources industry body. This is reflected in the [...]
Archbishop of York urges UK businesses to adopt living wage to tackle income inequality November 10, 2014 It is time for UK businesses to start supporting the living wage, the Archbishop of York argued to Britain’s business leaders today. Archbishop John Sentamu delivered a stern and simple message to the Confederation of British Industry annual conference: “Work must pay.” The living wage, which is set at £9.15 per hour in [...]
Asda is discovering the perils of Britain’s incoherent employment regulations October 29, 2014 DESPITE a remarkable reduction in Employment Tribunal claims, the system continues to throw up major problems for employers, with potentially disastrous consequences for business. First, the government is worried about two recent claims concerning holiday pay. For many years, this entitlement has been calculated by reference to basic pay. But the claims, backed by trade [...]
UK business is booming – but are workers being forced into self-employment? October 29, 2014 The number of businesses in the UK grew by 4.4 per cent between March 2013 and March 2014 as the recovery gathered pace, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures published this morning. The total number of VAT and/or PAYE businesses rose by 96,000 during the period. The report also showed the continued [...]
Still lovin’ it? McDonald’s shows why a minimum wage hike is no free lunch October 27, 2014 McDonald's has been a major target for US protestors advocating a significant minimum wage hike. A multi-billion dollar company with a recognisable global brand, it has faced a high-profile campaign from those frustrated with low wage rates. Mandating higher wages for McDonald’s workers would not lead to job losses or cuts to hours, protestors argued. [...]
Tesco’s falling share price eats away at Dave Lewis and Alan Stewart’s bonuses October 27, 2014 Here's another reason for Dave Lewis to be concerned about Tesco's tumbling share price – it's already cost him around a quarter of the bonus accrued at his previous employer Unilever. Tesco bought out awards that both Lewis and new chief financial officer Alan Stewart forfeited from leaving their previous employment, which in the [...]
Important jobs, big bonuses and beating your colleagues: City workers are suffering from “status anxiety” but won’t talk about it October 17, 2014 People working in the City are suffering from increasing levels of anxiety because of a pressure to appear successful and mentally resilient, according to a psychiatrist at The London Psychiatry Centre. Dr Rafael Euba has treated people with work-related anxiety and depression from a wide range of professions, including many people who work in [...]