Greece is locked in talks with international creditors in Athens about shrinking the government workforce by enough to keep bailout payments flowing. Identifying redundant positions and putting in place a system that will lead to mandatory exits for about 150,000 civil servants by 2015 is a so-called milestone that will determine whether the country gets … Continue reading
The focus on jobs represents a historic shift for the central bank that began with the 2008 financial crisis and has intensified in the face of four years of middling economic growth. But how much influence the central bank wields over unemployment remains an open question: It cannot direct businesses to hire or inspire entrepreneurs … Continue reading
Employers are investing more money in talent, but much of it is proving ineffective, according to the latest Talent Barometer survey from Mercer. The survey showed that 60% of organisations worldwide have reported increasing their investment in talent in recent years, however only 24% said their plans are highly effective in meeting immediate and long-term … Continue reading
The General Department of Population and Family Planning has proposed a VND3,000 billion ($150 million) project to reduce gender imbalance at birth. Part of the funding is to support the families with two daughters. The project has been submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration and sent to ministries for consultation. Under the scheme, the … Continue reading
Shenzhen has raised its monthly minimum wage levels by RMB100 to RMB1,600 from March 1, 2013, while its hourly minimum wages have been adjusted from RMB13.3 to RMB14.5. This news comes after Guangdong Province recently announced wage hikes of nearly 20 percent that would have seen Guangzhou overtake Shenzhen as the city with the highest monthly minimum … Continue reading
Jobs! The economy added 236,000 of them in February, which is good. And, as my colleague Derek Thompson points out, it added more construction jobs than at any time since March of 2007, which is even better. After all, housing is what makes recoveries go boom. But let’s be honest. Even with our nascent housing … Continue reading
Employers could save up to £34 billion by freeing up desk space and reducing overhead costs with employees working from home, mobile phone giant Vodafone has said today. In a survey of 500 key decision makers conducted by YouGov in tandem with Vodafone it found that despite the average office desk costing thousands of pounds … Continue reading
Sometimes age and experience can pay off. In Canada, as in many other countries, an aging population can face financial uncertainty as it heads toward retirement. But for now, older workers are in big demand in the workplace. Canada’s see-sawing labour force swung back into job-creation mode in February, with a net 50,700 people finding … Continue reading
Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility will layoff 1,200 employees, which is 10 percent of its current workforce, in an attempt to make the company profitable. The Wall Street Journal reports that a company email it obtained details that the layoffs have already begun and will affect workers in the U.S., China, and India. Motorola’s decision to … Continue reading
U.S. employers stepped up hiring in February, pushing the unemployment rate to a four year-low and suggesting the economy has enough momentum to withstand the blow from higher taxes and deep government spending cuts. Nonfarm payrolls surged 236,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday, handily beating economists’ expectations for a gain of … Continue reading
Employment rose by 51,000 in February, following a slight decline the previous month. This increase was spread between full- and part-time work. The unemployment rate remained at 7.0% as more people participated in the labour force. Chart 1 Employment Compared with 12 months earlier, employment grew by 1.9% or 336,000, predominantly in full-time work. Over the same period, the total number of hours … Continue reading
Peter Bell with Autism Speaks spoke of the employability of individuals with autism during a visit to Exceptional Minds vocational school for young adults on the autism spectrum last month. “Most of the world doesn’t know yet that there is phenomenal talent here in Sherman Oaks, in this room,“ said Peter Bell to a roomful … Continue reading
If we’re to move away from using housing benefit to prop up a dysfunctional housing market, we desperately need to think much more carefully about rent levels and wages, writes Rebecca Tunstall. Housing benefit is preventing poverty and homelessness, but propping up a dysfunctional system and hindering work incentives. We need lower housing costs to … Continue reading
International Women’s Day: What do you think is the single biggest issue currently facing women? asks The Independent The Independent‘s feminist writers have answered two questions. Here’s what they had to say (click on the image on the link) Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor via International Women’s Day: What do you think is the single biggest … Continue reading
Analysts are beginning to raise concerns about Canada’s near-term economic growth. The nation’s central bank is holding the overnight rate at 1% and will likely maintain this level for some time to come. Toronto Star: – The [central] bank’s current stance reflects the weak performance of the economy in the last months of 2012. Canada’s gross domestic … Continue reading