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Welcome to HR & Recruiter TV, latest back to work bulletin, brought to you by The Technology
In Recruitment Alliance and sponsored by Smart Recruit Online, CV Library and APSCo.
Making the new this month: The office of national statistics has revealed
that unemployment fell by more than 5,000 between November 2012 and January 2013.
According to their latest figures, there are currently a total of 2.5 million people unemployed
in the UK, but by 2018 employment figures are predicted to rise by a further 850,000
while wage growth is expected to rise at a much slower pace.
The Royal Bank of Scotland is to axe more than 2,000 jobs over the next 2 years following
the step down of chief executive Stephen Hester. It is currently unclear how many UK staff
will be affected however it is thought that the majority of cuts will be made in Asia
Pacific region. According to the OECD the UK male employment
rate was found to be higher for immigrants than for British born men since the economic
downturn. Chairman of Migration Watch UK Sir Andrew
Greenman has said that, what is clear, is that British born workers have hardly benefited
at all from the expansion of employment in the last 10 years or so.
However in contrast to this, the female employment rate is higher for British born females.
During the economic downturn young adults have seen their income slashed most by reduced
wages and inflation; however pensioners are seeing an increase.
The institute for fiscal studies has found that those in their 20s saw their median income
fall by 12% between 2008 to 2012. However over the same period those over 60 have seen
their income rise by almost 3%. A major Recruitment industry survey reveals
London is leading the way for positive hiring intentions and market optimism is at its highest
level for 5 years. This is due to substantial improvements in the construction sector along
with the continued growth in the technology, media and advertising industries.
National figures indicate that the most rapid growth areas are in Transport & Rail, Medical
& Nursing and Pharmaceuticals respectively. Research by IPSOS has revealed that pay and
benefits are the biggest cause for dissatisfaction for the majority of UK workers, with nearly
half looking to change jobs as a result. The survey suggests that 1 in 10 employees in
the UK are actively planning their next move right now.
Almost 4,500 soldiers are to be made redundant due to big cuts in the defence budget. Those
currently serving in Afghanistan will not be included in the cuts unless they have volunteered.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said that it was with great regret that the UK
have had to make redundancies to deliver the reduction in the size of the armed forces,
but unfortunately they were unavoidable due to the size of the defence deficit that this
government inherited. He went on to say that although smaller, our
armed forces will be more flexible and agile to reflect the challenges of the future and
will continue to be the bedrock of our society and provide extremely rewarding and exciting
careers for future recruits. The number of employers seeing increased competition
for well-qualified talent has risen threefold according to new research from the CIPD.
Low rates of labour turnover suggest that some workers at the top end of the labour
market are staying put in their jobs in these uncertain times, meaning employers have to
work harder than ever to find the right talent to fill vacancies.
A Report by BIS suggests more should be done to tackle female underrepresentation. The
committee urges the encouragement of women into apprenticeship sectors where they are
currently underrepresented such as Science, Technology, engineering and Mathematics.
HR Director for Telefonica Ann Pickering says Today's call for Government to tackle
female under-representation in the workplace is welcome, but it's just one part of the
solution. Ultimately, real change has to come from businesses themselves.
Well that's all from me for this month's back to work bulletin. But don't forget
to check out news headlines. I am Kirsty Nicol speaking for Recruiter TV,
brought to you by The Technology In Recruitment Alliance and sponsored by Smart Recruit Online,
CV Library and APSCo.