Next’s chief executive reported a sharp fall in entry-level shop jobs in the UK and said the retailer now receives far more applicants per vacancy than two years ago. He linked the increase in applicants to a youth unemployment crisis and warned that upcoming restrictions on zero-hours contracts would make hiring more difficult. A government-commissioned report is expected to find that Labour has not tackled the rising number of people not in education, employment or training. A separate review led by Alan Milburn said ministers have relied on disconnected jobs programmes rather than a cohesive strategy. The government argues zero-hours contracts are exploitative and that new rules provide baseline security. The article also notes widespread use of zero-hours contracts and calls for changes to employer costs such as national insurance contributions and minimum wage rises.
"More than a million people in the UK are working on a zero-hours contract basis, in areas ranging from hospitality and warehouses to the NHS. Hundreds of thousands of them are on zero-hours contracts despite working for the same employer for years, according to the TUC. Wolfson, who received a record pay package of more than 7m last year, also called on the government to reverse the rise in national insurance contributions (NICs) employers have to pay, along with minimum wage rises."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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