Work TV

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will today publish a report considering the impacts of Brexit on the UK labour market.

 The Committee was asked to carry out the research by the Government in July 2017 and will cover areas including wages and unemployment. It will also make a set of recommendations on the back off the evidence given by more than 400 businesses, industry bodies and government departments.

 The review is expected to feed into the government’s upcoming immigration bill as part of the changes to UK’s immigration system after the UK leaves the EU.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) members continuously cite shortage of skills as one of the top three barriers to growth of their companies. With skills shortages already prominent across industries, the IoD has been urging the Government to ensure they get the future immigration system right.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published more details on the future of DWP jobcentres.

Damian Hinds, Minister for Employment (July 2016 to January 2018), said:

We will always make sure that people have the support they need to get into and progress within work. These changes reflect the fact that more people access their benefits online resulting in many of our buildings being underused.

The changes DWP is making to its estate across the country will offer a more efficient service, and deliver good value for the taxpayer.

Claimants will be informed in advance of the closures and jobcentre work coaches will provide help and assistance to them during the mergers. The list below provides details of the jobcentres that have merged, or the proposed dates, when these changes will take place.

ABC Comment: Are Jobcentre Plus closures a good thing, has it affected you?: 

Colchester Jobcentre Plus is opening at the weekends to keep up with demand says staff - many of whom have been training on Universal Credit.

The UK government has been eroding workers entitlements with companies signing in staff to 48 hr contracts where days off are at the discretion of the management.

We have sympathy with staff as the working week heads towards a 24/7 nightmare, where you eventually will not be able to distinguish the working week and what used to be leisure time.

The government knows there will be a surge of unemployment post-BREXIT. Three hundred thousand jobs in the East of England for example are dependent on the European Union.

In 1973 Australian scientists predicted the end of civilization. World One looks at the world as one system and its not pretty. Government employees working at the weekends could be the end of the world as we know it. Please see the video below: 

ABC Comment: Have your say below:

We were contacted by Allen who has set up this 'chores' website. Anyone willing to write an eBook about stick vacumn cleaners needs a new set of friends was out first opinion. 

Still if doing the dusting gets you all hot and excited, this is the website for you: https://homeviable.com/household-chores-list/#tab-con-12

Just joking Allen, the website does have some useful tips.  

ABC Comment: Have your say below: 

The labour market statistics were published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.

Unemployment increased over the quarter and decreased over the year

• The latest NI seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the period May-July 2018 was estimated from the Labour Force Survey at 4%. The unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percentage points (pps) from the previous quarter and decreased by 1.3pps over the year (from 5.3%). Neither the annual nor quarterly change were statistically significant, i.e. the recorded changes did not exceed the variability expected from a sample survey of this size and are, therefore, not likely to reflect a real change.
• The NI unemployment rate (4%) was the same as the UK rate, and below the European Union (6.9%) and the Republic of Ireland (5.1%) rates for June 2018.
•  Almost three-fifths (59.3%) of those unemployed in NI were long-term unemployed (i.e. unemployed for one year or more), compared to 25.9% in the UK.

Employment rate and the economic inactivity rate decreased over the quarter

• There was a decrease (0.3 pps) in the employment rate (69.3%) over the quarter and an increase over the year (1.1pps).  The change in the employment rate was not statistically significant over the quarter or the year.     
• The economic inactivity rate (27.7%) decreased over both the quarter and the year by 0.2pps. These changes were not statistically significant.

NI Claimant Count (Experimental Series) decreased over the month

• Universal Credit was introduced in NI in September 2017 replacing income-based Jobseekers Allowance for new claimants. On the August claimant count reference date Universal Credit was available in 21 out of 35 Job Centres in NI.
• In August 2018, the seasonally adjusted number of people on the claimant count (which includes some out-of-work claimants of Universal Credit) was 28,000 (3.1% of the workforce). This represents a decrease of 100 from the previous month’s revised figure.

Confirmed redundancies increased over the year

• The number of confirmed redundancies (2,865) in the most recent 12 months is 35% higher than in the previous 12 months.  NISRA, acting on behalf of the Department for the Economy, received confirmation that 117 redundancies took place in August 2018.

Public and private sector jobs increased over the quarter and the year

• The Quarterly Employment Survey showed that private sector jobs increased over the quarter and year to their highest level on record (556,250). Public sector jobs also increased over the quarter and year but are 9% below the series peak in Q3 2009.  The public sector total now stands at 207,610.
• The total number of employee jobs increased over the quarter (2,550 jobs) and over the year (15,550 jobs) to 765,100; the highest number of jobs on record.
• Increases were experienced in all broad industry sectors over the year; the services sector accounted for the majority (67%) of growth. Within the services sector the greatest increases over the year were within retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles; employment activities and human health activities.

ABC Comment

• The unemployment rate for NI increased by 0.7pps over the quarter and is now equivalent to the UK unemployment rate. This follows three quarters where the NI unemployment rate was below the UK. However, at 4% the May-July unemployment rate is still one of the lowest recorded for NI.
• The employment rate decreased over the quarter and increased over the year. At 69.3% the employment rate is statistically significantly above rates estimated in 2013 but remains below the UK (75.5%) and the lowest of the UK regions. The economic inactivity rate (27.7%) decreased over the quarter and the year and is similar to rates five years ago. It continues to be the highest of the UK regions.
• Businesses reported an increase in employee jobs over the quarter and year to June 2018. Increases were experienced across all broad industry sectors and dominated by an increase in service sector jobs.

ABC Comment: SDLP Health Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has called for urgent action after it emerged that a staggering 1,800 health and social care jobs in Northern Ireland remain vacant. He said these figures whilst awful were not unexpected and are indicative of a historical lack of workforce planning that is plaguing the Department of Health.

ABC Comment. Have your say below:

11 September 2018:  The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, along with the EURES Cross-Border Partnership, will host a cross-border Job Fair in the Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan on Thursday, 20 September, from 10am to 1pm.

The event will be launched by Mickey Graham, Cavan GAA Senior Football team manager, and Terry Hyland, Leitrim GAA Senior Football team manager.

Image: Mickey Graham, Cavan GAA Senior Football team manager,

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D., has encouraged people in the north-east region who are either looking for work or considering changing job or career to attend.  She said:

"The Job Fair in the Slieve Russel hotel on 20 September offers a range of job vacancies and first-hand advice to people looking for work or considering changing job.  There will be a broad range of vacancies on offer and an opportunity to speak with employers who are actively recruiting on the day.  Similar Job Fairs have recently been held in the north-east region and have proved very successful in sourcing suitable employment opportunities and connecting jobseekers with employers.”

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, T.D., said “I am delighted that this event is being held in Ballyconnell to showcase the many vacancies on offer across 15 different employers in the shared border region of Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim and Fermanagh. I would strongly encourage anyone in the local area looking for employment to attend this Job Fair and take advantage of the many resources and information on display. The businesses participating include both new and existing investors in our communities, which means that the event will showcase a wide and diverse range of opportunities.”

There will be over 190 job vacancies across 15 employers - including manufacturing, construction, engineering, hospitality, sales, homecare and the food industry - on offer in cross-border areas of Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh and Monaghan, as well as throughout Europe.  Employers taking part in the Job Fair include Quinn Building Products, Quinn Packaging, the Slieve Russell Hotel, Crust and Crumb, ABP Food Group, Donnolly Group, and SCL Sales. 

There will also be one-to-one coaching clinics throughout the day providing tailored recruitment and CV preparation advice. The event is free.

ABC Comment: Have your say below:

Universal Credit full service has been rolling out across Scotland since March 2016 and is due to be completed by December this year.

Speaking ahead of her address to the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers in Glasgow today, Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Based on the evidence of impacts we have seen in other areas of Scotland where Universal Credit has been introduced, I remain extremely concerned about the impact this will have on some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people and the communities in which they live.

Image: Shirley-Anne Somerville

“Without addressing the fundamental flaws with the system, Universal Credit is likely to lead to significant, material increases in poverty, hardship and destitution.

“That is why we have repeatedly called on the UK Government to halt the roll out of Universal Credit until all the implementation issues are fully addressed. Only two weeks ago I wrote again to Esther McVey urging her to look at all the evidence.”

In Glasgow, there were 6200 people on Universal Credit in July, and Somerville is concerned this will ramp up significantly as more people move onto full service.

ABC Comment: Have your say below:

SDLP Social Justice Spokesperson Nichola Mallon MLA has said it is unacceptable that over two months on from the publication of the Independent Review of the PIP Assessment Process Report by Walter Radar, the Department for Communities has still not produced its response, leaving worried claimants in the dark.

Image: Courtesy Belfast Telegraph: Nichola Mallon MLA 

The Independent Report, commissioned by the Department, contained 14 recommended changes to the PIP assessment process, many of which the SDLP and advice sector have been campaigning for. 

The North Belfast MLA said: 

“The Independent Report into the PIP assessment process published over two months ago made a number of important recommendations including audio-visual recordings of all assessments, the use of a fairer definition of terminal illness to treat terminally ill claimants with more dignity and respect, specialist training for assessors so they better understand the nature and impact of specific conditions, the creation of a list of conditions which qualify for a paper based review as opposed to stressful face to face assessments, and the removal of direct and cold questions about suicide and self-harm. 

“It confirmed what many of us working to support claimants have known for some time. The PIP assessment process does not have the confidence and trust of claimants or the public. Two months on, despite several requests, we continue to be met with a wall of silence from the Department for Communities. This delay in issuing any response is doing nothing to build the trust, openness and transparency needed in the PIP process. It is leaving worried claimants in the dark. 

“PIP claimants and the public need to hear from the Department. They deserve to know its response to each of the 14 recommendations and the timeframe for implementation without any further delay.”

ABC Comment: Have your say below:

Benefit claimants who are Danske Bank account holders due to receive payment on Monday 3 September have instead been paid today, Friday 31 August 2018.

No-one will miss out on a payment and customers do not need to take any further action.  This only relates to Danske bank account holders.  No other banks are affected.

Affected claimants should take account of this early payment and plan their budget accordingly. 

The Department for Communities apologises for any inconvenience caused.

ABC Comment Have Your Say Below:

Last week Social Welfare Inspectors from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection conducted approximately 1,000 inspections of employers in Dublin city. These inspections were undertaken across the city and in a variety of sectors. They are part of ongoing measures being undertaken by the Department to detect instances of false self-employment and other possible abuses of the PRSI system.

These visits to employers have proved very worthwhile and have increased awareness of possible abuses of the PRSI system. The visits follow the Department’s recent information campaign highlighting the issue of false self-employment.

Remarking on the large number of inspector visits the Minister Regina Doherty, T.D., stated: ‘Given the reduction in the Live Register and changes to work practices, our Inspectors are increasingly being deployed to conduct employer inspections – checking that social insurance records are being correctly maintained, that workers are being properly classified as employees and that time at work is being reported correctly.

ABC Comment. Have your say below: