Coalition Britain: less Dragon’s Den, more a nation of odd jobbers
As with so many of the coalition’s claims of economic recovery, the seemingly buoyant labour market is hiding a much more fragile picture, writes James Bloodworth.
jobs
1.4 million now on zero hours contracts
Shocking new figures from the Office for National Statistics show that British employers are using about 1.4 million ‘zero-hours’ contract.
Government ‘trying to stigmatise job seekers’, says trade union
Labour and Unite have slammed the government’s new mandatory Community Work Placement scheme, reports Rob Edwards.
Why Miliband’s zero hours contract pledge is spot on
Ed Miliband won’t be able to ban zero hours contracts, but he is tackling the worst way they are abused, writes James Bloodworth.
Debt is still the problem in this cost of living crisis
Debt, rather than earnings, is being used to cover living costs, writes Carl Packman.
If we measure inflation by the RPI, real pay is still falling
If we measure inflation by the Retail Price Index – far more commonly used than CPI in pay bargaining – real pay is still falling, writes Richard Exell.
Cost of living crisis over? Three things the Tory press won’t tell you this week
Recovery. What recovery? asks James Bloodworth.
Unemployment down 77,000 to 2.24 million
Unemployment decreased by 77,000 between September 2013 and November 2013 to 2.33 million, with the unemployment rate now at 6.9 per cent, today’s labour market statistics reveal.
Five signs the cost of living crisis is far from over
Don’t believe the coalition hype. The so-called ‘cost of living crisis’ is far from over, writes James Bloodworth.
The full employment strategy must go beyond tax cuts and squeezing those on benefits
To maximise people’s chances of finding work we need to tackle the structural problems they face.