Minimum and living wage rates will rise for two million workers in the UK today, with the living wage for over 25 year olds increasing from £7.83 to £8.21 an hour. However, living costs are rising simultaneously – bills including council tax, TV licence fee and gas and electricity prices are set to increase from this month. 
 
Minimum wage in the UK is among the highest compared to other advanced economies around the world and the Government has said it is “determined” to end low pay. However, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) say that it remains too low, calling for workers between the ages of 21 and 24 to receive the same minimum wage rate as those aged 25 and over, and for the rate to be increased to £10 an hour.
 
Meanwhile, small firms are also facing a burden of new costs and tax requirements coming into force today, including increased rates to auto-enrolment pension contributions and new rules under the Making Tax Digital programme. Although some will benefit from cuts in business rates, the tax is still expected to cost companies in England £25bn overall in 2019-20, an increase of £206m.

ABC Comment: The government's National Living Wage (NLW) is theminimum pay per hour most workers aged 25 and over are entitled to by law. ... HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) can take employers to court for not paying the NMW/NLW. These rates are reviewed annually by the Low Pay Commission

ABC Comment, have your say below:

A vigerous protest is underway about the closing of libraries in Essex. Those on benefits need access to libraries to use their It and to research the jobs market.

You may wish to join in?

From the organisers: 

A protest and celebration of our libraries is taking place, with a carnival style procession through the streets of our county town, ending with music and entertainment outside the Essex County Council HQ. Come dressed up as your favourite book character and enjoy the party.

The event is happening:

Saturday, 8 June 2019 at 12:00 PM

Starting at: 

Saracens Head Hotel

3 High St

Chelmsford

England

CM1 1BE

United Kingdom

ABC Comment, have your say below:

The number of children living in absolute poverty across the UK has risen by 200,000 in a year, to a total of 3.7 million.

Responding to the government data release, Liberal Democrat DWP Spokesperson Christine Jardine said:

“This government should be absolutely ashamed of itself for presiding over the first increase in absolute child poverty in six years.

"The main culprits – the benefits freeze, the arbitrary two-child limit, and huge cuts to Universal Credit – were policy decisions, not accidents. Yet what would normally be front-page news has been buried by the never ending chaos of Brexit.
 
“The Liberal Democrats refuse to let the Conservatives get away with destroying the life prospects of 200,000 innocent children.

"That is why we are calling for the full reversal of cuts to Universal Credit work allowances, the abolition of the cruel two-child limit, and the creation of a second earner’s work allowance so that both parents in a couple are rewarded for work.”   

ABC Comments, have your say below:

Monday, 25 March 2019: The Mid-West Careers Fair will take place in the South Court Hotel, Raheen, Limerick on Wednesday 27 March 2019 from 11am to 5.30pm. The careers fair is one of some 80 events taking place around the country during National Jobs Week, which runs from Monday 25 March to Friday 29 March 2019.

Organised in conjunction with the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum, some 30 Employers and 15 Training Providers will attend the Mid-West Careers Fair. Entry is free to all and Jobseekers can register their attendance on the day.

This event will provide an opportunity for Jobseekers, Job Changers and Job Returners to meet with local companies actively recruiting. Local Education and Training Providers will also be exhibiting at the event.

Companies attending range from Multi Nationals to small and medium sized enterprises and include, Guidant IRC, OpTech Ltd, General Motors, First Data, WP Engine, Atlantic Aviation, Jaguar Land Rover and Johnson and Johnson.

Commenting on the event, Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, TD, said: “The Mid-West Careers Fair in Limerick is a great opportunity for jobseekers and employers alike. It provides jobseekers with the chance to find employment in a wide range of sectors and employers with the opportunity to actively recruit. It also showcases the excellent advice and support services my Department provides to both jobseekers and employers. This is an event not to be missed by jobseekers looking for work and by employers who are trying to find the most suitable people for their company.”

Jim Lynch, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Divisional Manager Mid-West said, “This year we have been overwhelmed with the support from local employers and training institutions.  The Jobs Fair is now an established annual event with a wide variety of jobs on offer.  This contributes to growing a stronger regional economy. We are delighted to partner with the Mid West Regional Skills Forum to offer this great opportunity to both Employers and Jobseekers of the Mid-West Region”.

Many of the Employers are returning to the event for the third and fourth time because they find it to be a very useful facility to source new employees for their company.

Image: South Court Hotel. Limerick. 

Commenting on the event, Joe Leddin, Manager at Mid-West Regional Skills Forum said “The Mid-West Regional Skills Forum is pleased to once again collaborate with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to host the Mid-West Careers Fair. The Mid-West is Ireland's fastest growing region and this year’s event will showcase hundreds of career opportunities across several industry sectors. Attendees can also engage with the education and training providers to avail of upskilling courses delivered on a part time basis”.

A number of local training providers (from Universities, local colleges and training centres) will also attend the event.

There will also be a free career and CV Workshop available at the event.  This experienced professional service will provide advice to Jobseekers on CV and Interview Preparation.

A stand where Jobseekers can get assistance and advice on registering their CV on JobsIreland will be available on the day. JobsIreland.ie provides an online recruitment service to both Employers and Jobseekers at www.jobsireland.ie. We can provide Jobseeker Profiles with a downloadable CV, Advertise Employer Vacancies and using the very latest technology, we also offer a Job-Matching service. The service is free, easy to use and is provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

ABC comment, have your say below:

Monday, 25 March 2019: The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., has launched Jobs Week 2019, which will take place all this week. Over 80 events are taking place across the country, with 14,000 jobseekers and 500 employers expected to participate. The biggest event will be the Intreo Careers Fair in Dublin Castle this Thursday (28 March). Each day will also feature online interactive Jobs Fairs allowing jobseekers to participate from the comfort of their own home.

This dedicated week of activity provides jobseekers and employers the opportunity to network and connect together and to provide information on the services available to jobseekers and employers from the Department’s Intreo service. 

As well as advertising job vacancies, the events will include one to one CV clinics, interview preparation workshops, seminars, career coaching and recruitment fairs targeted at specific industries.

Commenting on Jobs Week, Minister Doherty said:

Image: The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D

“Jobs Week offers a great opportunity for jobseekers to meet with employers, exchange advice, and especially, find work. Equally, it provides employers with the opportunity to actively recruit. This year’s events include Job Fairs, information sessions for jobseekers on upskilling opportunities and career advice workshops covering CV preparation and interview techniques. It is an opportunity not to be missed by jobseekers looking for work and by employers who are trying to find the most suitable people for their business.”

For a full listing of events taking place around the country visit http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Jobseekers-Events-Calendar.aspx

Intreo Careers Fair (Dublin Castle)

As part of Jobs Week, an Intreo Careers Fair will take place at the Printworks Building, Dublin Castle, on Thursday 28 March from 10am to 4pm where hundreds of job vacancies will be on offer across a range of sectors including Construction, Food and Beverage, Tourism and Hospitality, Manufacturing, Health, Transportation and Logistics, Education, Banking and Finance, Publishing, IT and Creative Industries, Retail, Services and Telecommunications. 

Speaking about the event, Minister Doherty said:

“This year’s Intreo Jobs Fair is our fourth annual Jobs Fair and builds on our previous success of bringing employers and jobseekers together. The employers are offering job opportunities for a wide range of skills and qualification levels from multiple sectors. The events always generate great energy and enthusiasm among everyone who attends but more importantly it highlights the scale of opportunities available within our growing economy.”

The activities that will take place during the day include CV workshops, JobsIreland registration and informative seminars which will be live streamed for those who cannot attend.

The seminars will include presentations and discussions on How to Excel at Interviews, Using Social Media to get a Job, Re-Entering the Jobs Market, Start your own Business and many others. These seminars and presentations will be streamed online so that jobseekers anywhere can virtually ‘attend’ from their PC, laptop or mobile and listen in on these talks from an excellent line up of industry professionals.

Online Careers Fairs

This year, as a new innovation, an Online Careers Fair will be taking place each day during Jobs Week. Thanks to online chat tools and livestreaming, employers and jobseekers based in rural or remote locations in Ireland can now ‘attend’ a Jobs Fair through their PC, laptop or mobile device. They can also sign up for online job interviews.
 

Furthermore, a European Online Job Day ‘Careers in Ireland’ will take place on Thursday (28 March) with jobs available across all sectors of the economy and will allow jobseekers and employers based in rural or remote locations in Ireland and in Europe to participate.

Jobseekers can apply for jobs advertised for this event and sign up for online job interviews.  This online event also includes live presentations by excellent recruiters and gives jobseekers an opportunity to talk directly to employers though the private chats.

To date over 35 companies, including PayPal, Accenture, Concentrix, VoxPro, Version1, Starwood Hotels have registered for the event. There are over 900 positions advertised across various roles in the Hospitality, Health, Customer, Business  Support and ICT sectors.

The event is supported by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and EURES Ireland. Over the past few years, EURES Ireland has organised six online events to recruit across a number of sectors including ICT, Business/Customer Support and Hospitality. Over 170 employers have taken part and received almost 3,500 job applications.

JobsIreland.ie

The JobsIreland.ie team will be showcasing at a number of events nationwide during Jobs Week 2019. JobsIreland.ie, is a free online recruitment service provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides access to straightforward advice from a team of experts to make it easier for employers to source staff and reduce the cost of recruitment. The service also assists jobseekers to create their online profile to maximise their potential employability and match them against current job vacancies.

At the #JobsWeek2019 events, the JobsIreland.ie team will assist people who are looking for a job and give them an opportunity to search for live jobs on the JobsIreland platform. The team will also showcase the JobsIreland.ie services and supports available to jobseekers and employers on the ‘no fee recruitment’ site.

The JobsIreland team will be attending the following events during Jobs Week:

Anyone interested in returning to work, moving jobs, or employers who are considering hiring staff at this time are urged to talk to a member of the JobsIreland team attending the events. As of 20 March 2019 there are over 7,000 positions available on the JobsIreland.ie website.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

The total number of seasonally adjusted employee jobs in December 2018 was estimated at a record high of 773,750. This was an increase of 5,410 jobs over the quarter and 14,350 jobs over the year. The annual change in employee jobs is statistically significant i.e. the recorded change exceeded the variability expected from a survey of this size and was likely to reflect real change. Increases were experienced in all sectors over the year, with the services sector accounting for most of the growth.

The number of employee jobs in the services sector (628,730 jobs) reached the highest level on record in December 2018.

Private sector jobs increased over the quarter (0.7% or 4,160 jobs) and the year (2.3% or 12,860 jobs) to their highest level (565,480) on record.

Public sector jobs increased over the quarter (0.1% or 180 jobs) and increased over the year (0.6% or 1,260 jobs). There are now 20,240 fewer public sector jobs than the series peak in September 2009 (-8.9%).

In the last five years, employee jobs have increased by 9.8% (68,820 jobs) and by 11.9% (82,500 jobs) from the low in March 2012.

The annualised growth rate of 2.1% between 2017 and 2018 is at a similar level to the growth rate in employee jobs between 2016 and 2017 but above growth rates seen between 2014 and 2016.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

The driving factor behind food bank use is poverty says Canadian Food Banks. Economic disruptions, low incomes, and government policies that don’t provide adequate support are what keep the number of food bank users persistently and unacceptably high. Food banks from coast to coast to coast are there when people must choose between shelter, clothing, and feeding their family.

The fact is that the way we support our most vulnerable citizens has not evolved since the 1990s says Canadian Food Banks, and people remain mired in a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. 60% of those in need of food banks rely on some form of social assistance.

 Individual provinces left to themselves are not a reliable option in the move towards a basic income for all. The recent change of government in Ontario illustrates this. The desire to take steps towards a basic income is a national issue that affects all Canadians in one way or another and we are asking the federal government to show leadership on this front.

 There needs to be a better way. Canadian Food Banks urge the federal government to:

• Fund and develop basic income pilot projects of various forms in different provinces and territories across the country
• Accumulate and analyze the data of these pilot projects over multiple years
• Allow low-income households access to non-cash benefits that are currently only available to people on social assistance
• Convert federal non-refundable tax credits into refundable tax credits to support more low-income Canadians in the short-term

ABC Note: In 1987, the Canadian food bank community created the Canadian Association of Food Banks to represent food banks nationally. There are now over 700 food banks and 3,000 food programs available in Canada. In 2008, HungerCount reported that on average, 704,414 individuals used a food bank per month.

Click on the logo to find a Food Bank:

ABC Note, PLEASE download the report below: 

Plans are now well under way for a mass anti-austerity rally in Colchester on Sunday April 28th. 

Walkers will be assembling near Firstsite from 1.30pm and marching through town to St Botolph's to hear a selection of local and national speakers.

More details will be posted on the facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/331469450810068/

Hope to see you there say the organisers.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Jobseekers in Norwich will get the chance to meet local employers to discuss a variety of job opportunities when Ready for Work returns to The Halls in Norwich next week.

The free jobs fair, organised by Norwich City Council and Norwich JobCentre Plus, will take place on Wednesday 27 March. People of all ages are welcome to attend, and can drop in any time between 11am and 2pm on the day. 

There will be plenty of help available, from navigating the fair itself to support with the digital skills needed to search and apply for jobs online.

As well as speaking to representatives from a wide variety of employers including Aviva, Marks and Spencer and the NHS, attendees will be able to check live job boards featuring all of the latest opportunities available on the day.

Laura Wigby, digital inclusion co-ordinator at Norwich City Council, part of the team behind the event said: “Ready for Work is for anyone looking for a job, or who might need some help with applying.

Image: The Halls, Norwich.  

“We’ve got some fantastic local employers lined up, job fair buddies on hand to help people get the most out of the day, plus our popular digital hub is back to assist with IT needs.”

Julia Nix, Jobcentre Plus District Manager, East Anglia, said: “‘The Return for Work event last year was such a great success with almost a thousand people accessing employment opportunities.

“I would recommend Ready for Work 2019 as a great opportunity for those seeking employment to take advantage of so many employers in one place!”

ABC comment, have your say below;

In February, US unemployment rates were lower in 4 states and stable in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 2 states and was essentially unchanged in 48 states and the District.

ABC comments, have your say below: