The Good News thread, local jobs, economy etc

[Guest MattP]

Unemployment down to a seven year low and wages continuing to rise.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32719779

 

 

Unemployment in the UK has continued to fall and the number of people in work has continued to rise, according to the latest official figures.

The number of people out of work in the January to March period fell to 1.83 million, down 35,000 from the previous quarter and the lowest for seven years.

At the same time, the total number in work rose to 31.1 million.

Average pay for employees, excluding bonuses, rose by 2.2% in the quarter compared with a year earlier.

[Finnegan]

I love all this employment shit, it's duking the stats at its absolute finest. You, you're not technically unemployed anymore, here's a contract for 0 hours, you're an employee! We'll even give you eight quid an hour trolololo.

You there, pleb, you've been on the dole too long. Here you go, work programme, that's another one chalked off the list. Wages? Don't be stupid.

Not for one moment suggesting the job market isn't vastly better than it was post credit crunch and isn't improving but ****ing hell.

(Also well aware Labour did exactly the ****ing same.)

Edited 13 May 2015 by Finnegan

[Guest MattP]

I love all this employment shit, it's duking the stats at its absolute finest. You, you're not technically unemployed anymore, here's a contract for 0 hours, you're an employee! We'll even give you eight quid an hour trolololo.

You there, pleb, you've been on the dole too long. Here you go, work programme, that's another one chalked off the list. Wages? Don't be stupid.

Not for one moment suggesting the job market isn't vastly better than it was post credit crunch and isn't improving but ****ing hell.

 

This has been done to death on here, less than 2% of contracts are zero hours ones which is barely a change from five years ago. Work Programme? Was barely even substantial enough to affect the figures.

 

If you can duck the stats that easily all governments would do it but they can't.

[David Guiza]

One thing that really bothers me is recruitment firms. Maybe i'm just missing the point, but whatever happened to one to the one contact between an employer and a potential employee; yes you have to go through a lot of applications, but isn't that what HR is for?

Just seems like a way to add more jobs and work when it's not really needed. More than happy to be proved wrong though.

[Guest MattP]

One thing that really bothers me is recruitment firms. Maybe i'm just missing the point, but whatever happened to one to the one contact between an employer and a potential employee; yes you have to go through a lot of applications, but isn't that what HR is for?

Just seems like a way to add more jobs and work when it's not really needed. More than happy to be proved wrong though.

 

Works for both sides I imagine.

 

Companies don't have to pay the ridiculous costs to advertise the job and use the manpower seperating suitable candidates from unsuitable ones. I think it can work for the employee as well, you wouldn't want to be wasting money and time applying for positions that aren't suitable for you.

 

But yeah, I suppose it's can be a bit shit knowing others are deciding what you are and what you are not going for.

 

That said I remember Duncan Bannatyne on QT a few weeks ago who had a person turn up at his door with a CV saying he didn't think agencies were selling him right and asked for 15 mins to tell he why he thinks he would be able to work for him, naturally he was so impressed he employed him. Could be bollocks but it was from yhe horses mouth.

[Rincewind]

I love all this employment shit, it's duking the stats at its absolute finest. You, you're not technically unemployed anymore, here's a contract for 0 hours, you're an employee! We'll even give you eight quid an hour trolololo.

You there, pleb, you've been on the dole too long. Here you go, work programme, that's another one chalked off the list. Wages? Don't be stupid.

Not for one moment suggesting the job market isn't vastly better than it was post credit crunch and isn't improving but ****ing hell.

(Also well aware Labour did exactly the ****ing same.)

I guess by Matts reply hell hasn't frozen over.

Edited 13 May 2015 by Rincewind

[David Guiza]

Works for both sides I imagine.

 

Companies don't have to pay the ridiculous costs to advertise the job and use the manpower seperating suitable candidates from unsuitable ones. I think it can work for the employee as well, you wouldn't want to be wasting money and time applying for positions that aren't suitable for you.

 

But yeah, I suppose it's can be a bit shit knowing others are deciding what you are and what you are not going for.

 

That said I remember Duncan Bannatyne on QT a few weeks ago who had a person turn up at his door with a CV saying he didn't think agencies were selling him right and asked for 15 mins to tell he why he thinks he would be able to work for him, naturally he was so impressed he employed him. Could be bollocks but it was from yhe horses mouth.

Yeah, I mean I always could see the benefits to it, particularly for a smaller business. But large firms have so many people in areas such as HR who seem to deal with that kind of stuff anyway. I got badgered by them as soon as my degree was nearing to a close and there does seem to be quite a few who have turned from the legal proffession into legal recruitment, not something I could do, but they all seem to pay really well, so hats off to them I guess.

 

I can see where the guy was coming from in truth, if true of course, a lot of them seem to have 2/3 firms that they are desperate to recruit for, and not too fussed about anywhere else. If I was a boss I'd much prefer that approach, but then I guess that would grow pretty tiresome very quickly. Swings and roundabouts as you say.   

[Jon the Hat]

Yeah, I mean I always could see the benefits to it, particularly for a smaller business. But large firms have so many people in areas such as HR who seem to deal with that kind of stuff anyway. I got badgered by them as soon as my degree was nearing to a close and there does seem to be quite a few who have turned from the legal proffession into legal recruitment, not something I could do, but they all seem to pay really well, so hats off to them I guess.

 

I can see where the guy was coming from in truth, if true of course, a lot of them seem to have 2/3 firms that they are desperate to recruit for, and not too fussed about anywhere else. If I was a boss I'd much prefer that approach, but then I guess that would grow pretty tiresome very quickly. Swings and roundabouts as you say.   

 

Ah no you see HR in big firms are too important to actually do recruitment, they do talent management, and set criteria, and select agencies, they don't actually do the recruitment.

 

To be fair demand is lumpy, and in specialised sectors agencies are useful.

[Benji]

I get about two calls a week from recruitment firms - jobs market is booming boys, I'm off to quaff champagne. 

 

But seriously, a lot of them in my sector are vultures who carry out very little research.  I received a call one week after starting my new job - instantly blacklisted if I ever want to move on.

[ADK]

I do find the monopoly of recruitment agencies unhelpful when people are trying to get off JSA. Too risk averse. They will not employ someone with a patchy CV and employment becomes like a closed shop.

[Guest MattP]

Unemployment continues to fall and wage growth hits a four year high.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33162403
 

UK unemployment has fallen again while wage growth has hit a near four-year high, official figures have shown.

The number of people out of work between February and April fell by 43,000 to 1.81 million, the Office for National Statistics said.

The jobless rate held steady at 5.5%, the lowest level since August 2008.

Meanwhile wage rises grew at their fastest rate since August 2011, rising 2.7%, both including and excluding bonuses.

The total number of people now in work is 31.05 million people, which is 114,000 more than in the previous three month period.

The employment rate for women hit a record high of 68.6%.

The government welcomed the ONS figures.

[purpleronnie]

Not sure if this is worthy but:-

 

Forget about France and Spain – Kent has been named Europe's top spot for a family holiday

 

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/forget-about-france-and-spain-%e2%80%93-kent-has-been-named-europes-top-spot-for-a-family-holiday/ar-BBleNqn?ocid=mailsignoutmd

 

The comments are of course on the whole negative, seemingly any positive news story is met with miserable morons.  Even illegal immigrants get a mention....the mentality of some people...baffling.

Edited 17 June 2015 by purpleronnie

[MPH]

Unemployment continues to fall and wage growth hits a four year high.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33162403

 

Went up by 3 today...

[Guest MattP]

Unemployment now at a ten year low.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35111020

 

 

The UK unemployment rate fell to the lowest for nearly 10 years at 5.2% in the three months to October.

It was the lowest jobless rate since the three-month period to January 2006, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of people out of work fell by 110,000 to 1.71 million between August and October.

There were 31.3 million people in work, 505,000 more than for a year earlier.

Joblessness had been expected to remain at 5.3%, where it was a month ago, according to a poll of economists by news agency Reuters.

[MooseBreath]

Just had a look through the data and it looks like the claimant count rate is about as low as it has ever been as well. Great success. It must be hard work to remain unemployed these days.

[Guest MattP]

It's even more remarkable when you compare the figures with other European nations.

The work done with claimants and the non pension welfare bill has been beyond expectations, Ian Duncan Smith deserves a knighthood, the public demanded welfare reform and they'll get it.

[MooseBreath]

The FTSE100 is taking another hammering this morning after Chinese trading was suspended for the 2nd time in a week. Could be looking at a new 52 week low being set today and a rocky year ahead.

I think we'll see a moderate stock market crash this year, possibly pushing the ftse down into the 4,000s, followed by a small recession perhaps early next year.

Osborne senses the danger and is setting out to manage expectations in his speech today, not that there's a lot he can do about the big troubles in little China or the new economic oil wars.

I think ordinary citizens will be able to ride this one out feeling little impact but the numbers will make grim reading, such a shame for Labour that they've got nobody in place to take advantage of what will be (wrongly) perceived by some as a tory failure on the economy.

Edited 7 January 2016 by MooseBreath

[Guest MattP]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35359689

 

Unemployment at it's lowest for over a decade.

[Webbo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35359689

 

Unemployment at it's lowest for over a decade.

We're all in this together.

[Guest MattP]

We're all in this together.

 

Not me guv I wave a placard and live on taxpayers money.

[Rincewind]

Jeremy Corbyn MP ‏@jeremycorbyn  1h1 hour ago

Congratulations Karen Constantine on gaining Newington ward in Thanet from UKIP. You will be a brilliant representative of the people!

[Guest MattP]

Won it with 288 votes, a 1% vote share increase.

The revolution is under way.

[Smudge]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35359689

 

Unemployment at it's lowest for over a decade.

So is the pound.

[Guest MattP]

So is the pound.

 

Tell me about it, I received a payment from an Australian company the other week, it's a joke.

[Smudge]

Tell me about it, I received a payment from an Australian company the other week, it's a joke.

I get a lump sum payment from Standard Life every year in January, just when the pound takes a shit this year. I swear the banks have a bulls-eye on my back.