UK house prices: What effect does the unemployment rate have on the cost of a home? May 17, 2015 Average house prices in the twenty local authorities with the highest rate of unemployment have risen by just £4,100 since 2009, while low unemployment areas have risen by an average of £65,000, according to analysis from Lloyds. The figures The raw numbers translate to increases of 25 per cent for the areas with the lowest [...]
A tale of two economies: Why the Bank of England risks a sharp hike in interest rates May 13, 2015 We were offered two conflicting views of the UK economy yesterday, from the monthly Labour Market Statistics and the Bank of England’s quarterly Inflation Report. The Labour Market Statistics presented a picture of a booming economy and accelerating wage inflation. Unemployment has fallen by about 400,000 over the past year and the jobless rate [...]
Wage growth jumps again while unemployment falls to another post-financial crisis low May 13, 2015 Average weekly wages excluding bonuses rose by an inflation-busting 2.2 per cent in March, official figures published this morning showed – a welcome relief for consumers. Read more: Bank of England cuts UK growth forecasts Meanwhile, unemployment fell to another post-financial crisis low of 5.5 per cent (that's the best figure since July 2008), while [...]
Outlook for UK wage growth still bleak despite rising job prospects May 10, 2015 Job prospects are improving but UK wage growth is likely to remain weak this year as companies continue to find no shortage of employees to recruit at current pay levels, the professional body for HR managers warned today. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said falling inflation together with low job turnover and [...]
If you’re a woman, experience doesn’t seem to count for much – a man is still more likely to win the top job May 7, 2015 Women's struggle to be taken as seriously as men at work appears to be far from over. It turns out that even with more leadership experience than their male competitors, they're still likely to be overlooked for the top jobs. This is the conclusion a group of researchers at the University of Kent came [...]
City pay revolts make a return: Investors are once again feeling uneasy about executive rewards May 6, 2015 Three years on from the so-called “shareholder spring” and listed hedge fund Man Group is again facing murmurs of discontent from investors over pay. The FTSE 250 group, led by chief executive Manny Roman, has put forward a plan to boost executive pay rewards and make it “competitive in the marketplace”. However influential advisory firm [...]
UK managers work fewer hours than those in the US May 5, 2015 Managing a team can of employees can be tough, but managers in the UK have an easier ride than their US counterparts, because they get to work shorter hours. Research by professional services firm Ernst and Young, based on interviews with 9,699 full-time employees in eight different countries, found just over a third of UK managers work [...]
Tech sector job creation climbs to new high but skills focus needed May 5, 2015 UK technology companies’ hiring has reached a record high despite the industry reporting slower growth in business. The tech sector UK business activity index published today by consultants KPMG and financial information firm Markit scored 55.7 for the first three months of the year. Any figure above 50 represents growth with higher scores marking faster [...]
Professional job vacancies soar as pay climbs in “further positive indicator of economic confidence” May 4, 2015 The professional jobs market has brushed off the UK economy’s weak start to the year, according to figures released today by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (Apsco) . Permanent openings for lawyers, accountants and engineers climbed 20 per cent in April compared with the same month last year. Demand is highest for engineers where [...]
UK unemployment has stalled, but it’s set to fall again under the Conservatives May 1, 2015 The nation's unemployment rate was heading a steep downward slope until the beginning of the year, but since January it has barely changed. Over the four months ending in April, the Adzuna unemployment predictor estimates the proportion of people out of work went down from 5.6 per cent to 5.58 per cent – this [...]