Recruitment Advice

The government have announced today that the figure of people unemployed has reached 2 million, the highest rate in 12 years. The huge number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance increased by a record 138,400 last month to 1.39million.

A chief economist from the British Chambers of Commerce has said: “The outlook for unemployment is worsening and there is an urgent need for action, at this rate, unemployment looks set to reach 3.2million by 2010.

Today news reported that 100 more retail jobs were axed at the lifestyle division of JJB Sports as a further 10 stores closed.

Eight branches of the OSC fashion retailer and two Qube footwear outlets were shut by administrator KPMG, with 121 redundancies. Today’s announcement brings the total number of people losing their jobs with the company to 559, including a string of shop closures in February.

With unemployment reaching its highest level since 1997 employers are either overwhelmed by the amount of applications they are receiving or they are struggling to fill vacancies.

There are areas across the UK like Oldham in Greater Manchester where the ratio of job seekers to vacancies, is almost 31 people claiming job seekers to 1 vacancy.

The Job centre are urging employers to come and advertise there vacancies to help ease the pressure n communities with a high ratio. Travelling times will be more acceptable to those who have been out of work for a longer period of time. The Job Centre New Deal Scheme is to help employers recoup some of the money back, in the hope that they can offer better salaries to those who are travelling further for work.

Debenhams the high street retailer have planned to create more positions by 2010. The retailer currently have 152 stores throughout the UK and have planned to open another eight outlets.

The six new department stores will be opening in Kidderminster, Newcastle upon Tyne, Carmathen, Wakefield Bury and Bath. There are also plans for 3 smaller stores to open this year across the country. This will in total create 1200 jobs.

It comes as good news as there is finally a retailer who are recruiting and are planning to open new stores although they still have had a decline in their profits based on like for like this time last year.

The levels of unemployment are set to rise this week past £2million and it is expected to continue to rise all year.

Analysts have predict it will reach 3.3million before the jobs market recovers from the recession. The number of people looking for work, including everyone who is not eligible for benefits had reached almost 1.98million when the figures for the quarter to December were released last month.

New figures to be published on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics are expected to show more people are now out of work than when Labour came to power in 1997, when the total was just over two million.

Morrison’s the supermarket chain have today announced that they are making good progress and there annual Pre tax profits are up by 7%.

Last year the chain bought 38 of the Co-operative Group stores and opened nine new stores in the UK. The plans for this year are expected to include 350,000 square feet of new retail space in addition to the stores it had bought from the Co-operative Group.

The group have said “We have identified significant potential to attract new customers and will focus on space growth in order to take us from a national to a nationwide company,”

The increase in store openings will lead to more job openings in store and for the head office support staff.

Thousands of people across the UK are said to be taking on second jobs to afford a better lifestyle rather than cutting back.

A study conducted by AXA insurance has shown that people are sending their C.V’s to recruiters and businesses looking for further work, just to top up their salaries. The figures have shown that 15% of relatively high salary households have been forced to get a second job or to send a partner who was not previously in employment to get a job.

The need for a second job for a social life and a holiday is high on agenda as many people have not had salary increases this year and many have seen salary cuts.

For many of those who are unemployed and families with very high out goings, the need for a second or third job is becoming mandatory. Reports have shown that families missing payments on mortgages are receiving grace period from their lenders before debt collection companies are stepping in to get the payments.

Families that are looking for second jobs are looking for roles that they can do around there normal working hours. Fast food chains that are recruiting in the thousands are becoming the favourable option.

The government are planning a new training initiative that will help professionals who have lots there job during the economic struggle in becoming teachers.

Jim Knight the Education Minister is expected to make an announcement today which will help professionals will have the opportunity to complete a six month teacher training programme rather than the twelve month programme which is already in place.

Other opportunities are leadership schemes which will be promoted to those who have had several years professional experience in fields such as hi-tech industries or financial services. This could be opportunities for people who want to become headteachers  and they could see this happen in as little as four years. This opportunity is set to be available for up to 200 people.

The staff members at Jaguar Land Rover have been working closely with the companys senior partners in deciding what is the best option whilst the company are working through struggling times.

Jaguar Land Rover said the deal with its workforce would save about £68m as the company battles with the global downturn in automotive markets.

The changes in the agreement  will see staff members at the sites in Castle Bromwich and Halewood will do a four-day week and also accept a pay freezes until 2010 in exchange for the company’s agreement that there will not be any compulsory redundancies among non-management employees for two years. Salaried staff have agreed a three-hour extension of the working week to 40 hours and a pay freeze.

ITV have announced today job cuts of up to 600 people, 150 of the jobs will be lost in Leeds, while several hundred are expected to go in London. It has been reported that ITV have been hit by a sharp drop in traditional advertising methods.

ITV’s cost-cutting measures include:

• 600 jobs to go across its businesses
• Plans to sell Friends Reunited. ITV bought the social networking site for £120m in December 2005. It is now valued at about £40m
• Plans to sell its online business directory Scoot
• Closure of ITV Local broadband service, which provides local news content, as a standalone business
• Considering options for its SDN business, which leases space on Freeview.

New Deal is a key part of the Governments Welfare to Work strategy. It aims to give unemployed people new opportunities to train and gain work experience, so that they have the skills you want. This is a new initiative to help businesses that are suffering from staff shortages.

Most businesses are overwhelmed with the responses from there recruitment advertisements and having to spend time sifting through C.V’s.

The benefits of looking at New Deal as a way to meet your recruitment needs are:

• All people involved have been assigned a personal advisor who does a thorough assessment of their qualities, skills and experience.
• They have attended training sessions to fill the skills gaps in there experience
• They are genuinely interested in your role as there advisor will only put them forward for roles that have the qualifications for and are interested in that area.
• There is a financial benefit to the company

If you recruit people from New Deal 25 plus or New Deal for Young People you may be able to get financial through an employment subsidiary.  The subsidy is paid for 26 weeks and the payment brackets are:

New Deal Plus

• £75 per week for each person placed if the vacancy is over 30 hours per week
• £50 per week for each person placed if the vacancy is between 16 - 29 hours per week

New Deal for Young People

• £60 per week for each person placed if the vacancy is over 30 hours per week
• £40 per week for each person placed if the vacancy is between 16 - 29 hours per week
• Grant available of up to £750 towards the cost of a agreed training certificate/qualification.