How does the current jobs market appear?

Labour market statistics

1. Unemployment is 1,455,000, and fell by 28,000 from last month’s published figure (quarterly headline down by 75,000) and the unemployment rate is 4.3%, down 0.1 percentage points on last month and down 0.2 percentage points on last quarter.

2. The number of claimant unemployed is 806,300, down 2,800 on last month, and the claimant rate is 2.3%.

3. The number of workless young people (not in employment, full-time education or training) is 954,000, up 1,000 on the quarter, representing 13.4% of the youth population (up 0.1 percentage points).

4. Youth unemployment (including students) is 528,000, down 36,000 on the quarter.

5. There are 1.9 unemployed people per vacancy.

6. The employment rate is 75.3% (up 0.1 percentage points on last month’s published figure and up 0.5 percentage points in the preferred quarterly measure).

 

The labour market figures published on 13 September provide a distinct feeling of deja vu as they show another strong increase in employment combined with falling unemployment and falling economic inactivity amongst people of working age. However, it is also the case that workers are getting poorer with real wages falling for the fifth month in a row.

Employment statistics for youth...

Labour Market Statistics show strong youth labour market performance

Youth unemployment decreased by 3.6 percentage points over the last year to 9.4 per cent, the lowest youth unemployment rate since the series began, and below the UK. Scotland now has the 2^nd lowest youth unemployment rate in the EU. Despite rising by 0.4 percentage points over the last quarter, Scotland’s overall unemployment rate also fell by 0.4 percentage points over the year to 5.1 per cent, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.

Labour market statistics – January 2017

1. Unemployment is 1,604,000, down 12,000 from last month’s published figure (quarterly headline down 52,000) and the unemployment rate is 4.8%, no change on last month.
2. The number of claimant unemployed is 797,800, down 10,100 on last month, and the claimant rate is 2.3%.
3. The number of workless young people (not in employment, full-time education or training) is 1,014,000, down 5,000 on the quarter, representing 14.1% of the youth population (down 0.1 percentage points).
4. There are 2.1 unemployed people per vacancy.
5. The employment rate is 74.5% (up 0.1 percentage points on last month’s published figure and down 0.1 percentage points in the preferred quarterly measure).

The latest Treasury survey of independent forecasters, showed that their current expectation is for modest economic growth of 1.4% and modest employment growth of just 0.2% in 2017.

Information about University applications for a 2015 start

The Guardian has reported on new figures published by UCAS which have revealed a narrowing gap between the rich and poor going to university and a widening gap between males and females.

In England alone 100,000 more women than men have applied to go to university this year. It is thought that men are 36% less likely to apply to university than women. This gap has continued to widen since the 1900s.

As for the affluence of people applying to university, it appears that a record number of 18 year olds from low income households have applied to university this year, up 2% from last year.

18 year olds from low income households now account for 21% of applicants, narrowing the higher education gap between rich and poor.

What’s more, the total number of people applying to university has seen an overall increase from this time last year of 2%.

Mary Curnock Cook, Chief Executive of UCAS commented, “Demand for UK higher education, notably from younger people and from EU countries, has continued to rise in 2015. It is heartening to see the gap between rich and poor continue to narrow.

“Nevertheless, demand has grown more slowly this year and has fallen for mature students. This perhaps reflects improved employment prospects in the UK.”

Business secretary, Vince Cable said, “There were many who said the reform of student finance would discourage young people from going to university. The opposite has occurred; numbers have grown, in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Our reforms now also mean universities are well funded for the future. At the same time, we have expanded vocational training, particularly apprenticeships, which have reached two million. This is a record to be celebrated.”

Link to article: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/30/low-income-students-likely-apply-university-ucas

Jobs of the future Report Available

Clicking on this link will lead you to a  Report that is very east to read, produced by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. 


The guide presents a list of jobs which will offer great career prospects to young people looking to take their first steps into work.


It contains a full list of 100 jobs all highlighted as Careers of the Future, and casts a spotlight on 12 roles across a range of sectors, giving an outline of the job, what the work entails, key statistics which may be helpful in making career decisions, and details on various entry routes in to the job.


Each role also includes a range of useful links to allow the reader to explore more about that particular career.


All of the roles featured in this document combine vital factors for a great career - from pay and career opportunities, to entry routes, progression and personal development.