In the News

Canada – 69% of couple families with at least one child under 16 were dual-earner families

This paper examines the employment patterns of families with children (under the age of 16) over the period from 1976 to 2014, with a particular focus on couple families with children. This article also highlights regional differences in the working patterns of parents and provides additional information on the employment patterns of lone parents. In 2014, … Continue reading →

Low Wages in US – Raises would boost overall productivity growth, with likely minimal effect on employment

As the United States emerges from the Great Recession, concern is rising nationally over the issues of income inequality, stagnation of workers’ wages, and especially the struggles of lower-skilled workers at the -bottom end of the wage scale. While Washington deliberates legislation raising the minimum wage, a number of major American employers—for example, Aetna and … Continue reading →

Chômage en France – Hausse record en mai 2015

Les chiffres du chômage en mai 2015 sont tombés ce mercredi 24 juin. Alors que le gouvernement espère une stabilisation, la hausse s’est poursuivie en mai : 16 200 demandeurs d’emploi supplémentaires, soit un bond de +0,5%. Avec 3 552 200 personnes sans activité, ce mois signe un nouveau triste record. Extraits choisis par le … Continue reading →

MAN SE (Volkswagen) – To cut 1,800 jobs

Germany’s MAN SE plans to cut around 1,800 jobs at its main trucks division as the Volkswagen-owned (VOWG_p.DE) company slims operations to lower costs and revive profit, two people familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The job cuts will affect 1,400 white-collar employees and 400 staff in production, the people said. MAN Truck & … Continue reading →

Turnover in US – More employees leave jobs for career growth than money Randstad finds

As American companies grapple to retain top talent, Randstad US has released the results of its most recent Employer Branding Survey, which uncovers four key factors impacting employee attraction and retention. Randstad’s 2015 Employer Branding Survey arms U.S. companies with specific areas they can address to minimize employee turnover in today’s competitive talent market. Trend … Continue reading →

Ericsson – 2,200 jobs cut

Swedish vendor eliminates 2,100 positions; 1,700 staff set to leave the company. Ericsson on Wednesday revealed that it has begun giving notice to staff facing redundancy as part of its 9 billion-kronor (€987 million) cost-cutting programme. In the past few weeks approximately 2,100 positions have been eliminated at the vendor’s Swedish R&D and supply operations. … Continue reading →

Germany – International students are leaving

Germany’s foreign students were assumed to be a hot commodity in a country desperate for skilled labor. But inhospitable employers and lack of preparation from their universities are forcing them to leave in droves.  A study published this week by the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (SVR) highlighted the gap between … Continue reading →

Indonesia – A bleaker picture than the notoriously unreliable official numbers

Indonesian companies are shedding jobs as they grapple with the weakest economic growth in six years, adding to the troubles facing President Joko Widodo, who was elected last year on pledges to dig the country out of a rut.  Government data might suggest no cause for alarm – unemployment was 5.81 percent in February, up … Continue reading →

Graph of the day. Unemployment in the Euro Area periphery – the long run

Refugees – Worldwide displacement hits all-time high

Wars, conflict and persecution have forced more people than at any other time since records began to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere, according to a new report from the UN refugee agency. UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report: World at War, released on Thursday (June 18), said that worldwide displacement was at … Continue reading →

Aboriginal in Canada – Unemployment rate twice as high as for the nonAboriginal population in 2011 report finds

The Aboriginal population has experienced mixed outcomes for the core economic indicators. • Aboriginal labour force participation and employment rates have declined while unemployment rates have increased from 2006 to 2011, reflecting the impact of the 2008-09 economic downturn. The gap in employment and participation rates between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations increased as Aboriginal … Continue reading →

Employment Insurance (EI) in Canada, April 2015 – 521,300 people receiving regular benefits

There were 521,300 people receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits in April, little changed from March (+0.5%) and compared with 12 months earlier (-0.4%). For the fourth month in a row, Alberta led all provinces in terms of growth in the number of beneficiaries, with a 10.7% increase in April. British Columbia also posted a … Continue reading →

Job Report in UK – Employment up 114,000 compared with the previous quarter

There was an increase in employment and a fall in unemployment, when comparing February to April 2015 with the 3 months to January 2015. Main points for February to April 2015 Comparing the estimates for February to April 2015 with those for the 3 months to January 2015, employment continued to rise and unemployment continued … Continue reading →

National Oilwell Varco – To cut 1,500 jobs

Houston-based oil equipment maker National Oilwell Varco’s Norwegian arm said Wednesday it is shedding 1,500 jobs, or about a third of its staff here, as sales drop on lower oil prices and industrywide spending cuts, a day after Norway’s dominant oil company Statoil ASA announced a similar-sized job cut. National Oilwell Varco Norway said it … Continue reading →

Canada for March 2015 – 5.9 Unemployed people for every job vacancy

Canadian businesses reported 232,000 job vacancies in March, up 23,000 compared with 12 months earlier. For every job vacancy, there were 5.9 unemployed people, down from 6.7 in March 2014. This decline in the ratio was the result of both fewer unemployed people and more job vacancies. Unemployment-to-job vacancies ratio declines in four provinces In Quebec, there were 6.6 unemployed people for every job vacancy, down from 10.0 in March 2014, … Continue reading →