Michel Cournoyer

China / Motorola confirms further staff layoffs

Motorola Mobility China confirmed Tuesday that it is carrying out a second round of massive layoffs, a further move to cut its workforce since Google Inc acquired its parent company Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion last year. According to telecommunications industry website ccidcom.com, the US-based company is planning to cut 800 jobs in China, with … Continue reading →

UK / Banks employment to 9yr low

Britain’s four biggest banks will have cut a quarter of their staff worldwide by the end of this year from peak staffing levels of 2008. Thousands of jobs are targeted as British banks centered in LIBOR rigging and insurance mis-selling scandals continue to cut costs. Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Lloyds and Barclays will employ … Continue reading →

What is the EU doing to tackle youth unemployment?

From the Memo The July 2012 country-specific recommendations sought to ensure that youth employment remains high on the policy agenda of all Member States where youth unemployment rates are particularly dramatic. The European Commission proposed in December 2012 a Youth Employment Package to help Member States specifically tackle youth unemployment and social exclusion by giving … Continue reading →

US / Job Creation Under The Last 5 Presidents

This graph shows the change in private sector payroll jobs from when each president took office until the end of their term(s).  President George H.W. Bush only served one term, and President Obama has just started his second term. Mr. G.W. Bush (red) took office following the bursting of the stock market bubble, and left during the bursting of … Continue reading →

EU Youth Unemployment / Germany and France meet today

As Germany and France meet today (28 May) over a joint youth employment initiative, EU officials have rebuffed as “groundless” and “dangerous” criticism from the German finance minister that the Commission is failing to address joblessness, EurActiv Germany reports. Ministers from both countries will unveil in Paris the initiative blueprint and allow the European Investment … Continue reading →

The UK ‘Jobs Gap’ / More than 800,000

The UK is more than 800,000 jobs short of the amount it would need to restore employment rates to those seen before the recession, a study from independent think tank the Resolution Foundation has found. While the number of people in employment had climbed by 160,000 since 2008 to nearly 30 million, this positive news … Continue reading →

College Grads / A demand problem, not a skills problem

The same factors that are hurting the job market are making it hard for start-ups and small businesses to succeed: consumers aren’t spending enough money to create an expansion on their own, and austerity-driven cuts in government spending are weakening economic growth. As Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute puts it, the declining prospects … Continue reading →

Canada / Can we do it better in Skilled trades?

A great deal of discussion is going on now about whether Canada is facing a shortage of skilled workers. Whether you are in the camp that believes it is or not, I think most people would agree that a country whose population has a diverse set of skills is able to respond more effectively to … Continue reading →

China / Growing competition pushes migrant worker pay growth down in 2012

The annual increase in pay for China’s 163 million migrant workers almost halved in 2012, an official survey showed on Monday, signaling a looser labor market as economic growth slows. The average monthly wage of migrant workers grew 11.8 percent in 2012 from the previous year to 2,290 yuan ($370). That marked a sharp slowdown … Continue reading →

Scotland / About 70% of young people involved in a programme have moved into jobs or further education

About 70% of young people involved in an employment skills programme have moved into jobs or further education, according to the Scottish government. The Activity Agreement scheme sees vulnerable 16 to 19-year-olds sign up to activities and qualifications that could improve their job prospects. More than 2,600 young people from across all 32 council areas … Continue reading →

Bangladesh / Workers Demand Better Working Conditions

The future of Bangladesh lies in the power of international cooperation and the implementation of concrete political measures to end unfair labor practices. Violence has erupted in Bangladesh, following the world’s worst garment industry disaster last month, as thousands of workers gathered in the country’s capital on Monday demanding better pay conditions. Police charged batons … Continue reading →

US / Education / Investment in student falls for first time ever

The amount of money spent per public school student fell in 2011 for the first time since the Census Bureau began keeping records more than three decades earlier, as economic woes finally caught up with educational realities. “This is clearly the fallout from the Great Recession,” said Michael Petrilli, executive vice president of The Thomas … Continue reading →

US / 68 percent willing to take pay cut for more personally meaningful careers

Today’s top professionals and recent graduates expect their careers to provide more than just an income, a survey released by Philips North America found. The Philips Work/Life Survey examined key factors of Americans’ job happiness, with a particular focus on their ability to bring personal interests to their workplace career as a way to create … Continue reading →

Bullying Statistics / Before workplace bullying

Statistics on bullying collated from government reports and research. 38% of young people have been affected by cyber-bullying. 31,599 children called ChildLine in 2011/12 about bullying. Almost half (46%) of children and young people say they have been bullied at school at some point in their lives. 38% of disabled children worried about being bullied. … Continue reading →

LinkedIn looks to build on its impressive resume