Unemployment rate falls to 4%, with record low youth unemployment

THE unemployment rate has fallen further this month, to 4%, with a higher proportion of black and ethnic minority (BME) people in work than ever before. As young people in England and Wales get their ALevel results, the proportion of young people who are unemployed and not in full time education is at a record low of 4.7%. Meanwhile, there are also a record number of older people in work; over 10.2 million.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey said:- "With the unemployment rate falling further to just 4%, and youth unemployment down over 45% since 2010, School leavers this week can look forward to a growing jobs market, improving the prospects for their future careers. In fact the UK's vibrant jobs market is benefiting people across the board. Record rates of ethnic minority people in work also show that more families across our society are benefiting from the security of a job, with wages also on the increase. We have some of the most creative, innovative and hard working young people in the world and this summer I've been urging them to take on a summer job, gaining 'soft skills; or as I call them, essential skills; for their future careers."

Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma said:- "With the unemployment rate at a 43 year low, it is also very good that we are seeing wages continuing to outpace inflation for the 5th month in a row. We've backed businesses to create jobs and reformed welfare to make work pay, and thanks to the Government's policies and employers' confidence in the British economy we have seen over 3.3 million more people employed in our country since 2010. Over 75% of these people are employed in permanent jobs and full time jobs and over 70% in higher-level occupations which pay higher wages."

The figures released also show:-

► Older workers also continue to find work as the number of workers aged 50+ is at a record high of 10.21 million.

► The BME employment rate is at a record high of 65.5%, an increase of 1% on the year.

► And, since 2010, the majority of employment growth has been in both full time and permanent roles.

► There was also a large fall in zero-hour contracts in April to June 2018, making up only 2.4% of people in employment; a fall of 104,000 on the year.

► The Government has reformed welfare to make work pay, backed businesses to take more people on, and built a stronger, fairer economy.

The search is on to find the UK's best neighbour

CO-OP Insurance is calling on people in Southport to help find the UK's best neighbour, in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch. ONS figures show a 30% increase in domestic burglaries recorded by police in the year ending 2017. This coupled with research conducted by Co-op revealing 22% of people think there are fewer good neighbours than 5 years ago, has led Co-op Insurance and Neighbourhood Watch to champion strong and friendly communities across the UK.

However, 33% of people think they have better neighbours than they did 5 years ago with 41% saying they speak to their neighbours daily. Almost 95% think they are good neighbours themselves but 29% have never invited their neighbours over for a chat.

The search is now on to find and crown the UK's greatest neighbour, pinpointing where in the country, neighbours really do become good friends. Co-op's members were asked to determine what makes a good neighbour in today's society and the following 4 themes have been revealed:

Traits of a good neighbour:-

►  Good neighbours look out for each other, for example keeping an eye on the house.

►  Good neighbours are sociable and friendly; happy for a chat or a party invitation.

►  They're practically helpful; from taking in parcels to offering help with the plumbing.

►  They're kind, caring and respectful; more specifically thinking about the impact they have on neighbours.

Co-op is now urging people to nominate most deserving individuals across the country and there is also an opportunity to put forward your 'Hero Next Door' for a true act of heroism.

In terms of who people want their neighbours to be, respondents most frequently cited family and friends as their ideal neighbours. Others explained they'd like celebrities including:- British food writer and TV presenter, Mary Berry, to help with cooking, Gardener's World, Monty Don for gardening tips and comedian and actor, Stephen Fry and comedian, Peter Kay because of their sociable and friendly natures.

Furthermore, respondents also advised they'd love their neighbour if celebrities including Tom Hardy and Kylie Minogue were to be the boy or girl next door.

Real examples of people loving thy neighbour included individuals saving lives by giving CPR or adrenalin following an allergic reaction, people helping out with caring responsibilities for those with long term illnesses, looking after animals or children at short notice or offering lifts to places or meals. Others have offered support just by being there to socialise, or at their neighbour's time of need.

Caroline Hunter, Head of Home Insurance at Co-op, says:- "It's great to see the community spirit prevalent in so many communities across the UK and to hear stories of courageous individuals carrying out true acts of kindness. By encouraging more people to get to know those living nearby to them, we want to help create safer communities. Now that we know what communities value in a neighbour, we can begin our search for the UK's best neighbour."

David Huse, OBE, Chair of the Neighbourhood Watch Network (NWN) says:- "Everyone should feel safe in their community and having strong, welcoming and active neighbours who look out for each other means anti social behaviour and crime are less likely to happen. Getting to know your neighbours has huge benefits for everyone; and with this award we want to recognise the people who are making such a vital contribution to community life and encourage others to follow in their footsteps."

Nominate your neighbour for the award by voting online now.

Metro Mayor says 18,000 more construction workers are needed in the Liverpool City Region

METRO Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, spoke at the launch of a report which Cites that thousands of additional construction jobs are needed in the Liverpool City Region in the coming years, with demand set to soar.

The report, written by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority using research by CITB, is set against the backdrop of future devolution of the adult education budget to the Metro Mayor from 2019/2020.

The document highlights that the sector has contributed over ₤25 billion (GVA) to Liverpool City Region's renaissance in the last 20 years; and predicts that projects such as Liverpool and Wirral Waters, as well as a number of housing developments, could mean an additional ₤1billion per year of construction activity by 2040. However, a number of tests facing the City Region's capability to meet the demand of future projects are foreseen within the report.

These challenges include:-

► Out of a region of 1.5 million people, only 47,000 work in the industry; CITB have stated that:- "To meet anticipated demand, more than 65,000 construction workers are required for the foreseeable future." (an increase of 18,000).

► Most companies employ less than 10 people; making it difficult for local businesses to bid in for large scale contracts.

► Only 11% of the current workforce is female; creating a workforce not representative of the general population.

► And there is a higher than average proportion of workers over 55; leaving big gap to fill before their retirement.

A working group which includes the City Region Combined Authority, employers and the City Region Construction and Built Environment Network have been tasked with specific actions over the coming months to ensure these challenges are tackled head on.

Specific actions include:- the shaping of adult education budget commissioning; improving careers engagement and progression; exploring the option of a social enterprise Apprenticeship Training Agency for Construction; and engaging with credible grassroots community organisations to encourage under represented groups to take up opportunities in the sector.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said:- "I spent most of my working life in the construction industry, after having started as an apprentice bricklayer at the age of 16; and I have seen both the good times and bad; from the outside and in; of the industry's fortunes across Liverpool City Region. During the recession hit early 1980's, I was 1 of those in the trade that had to travel cross country to find work. But in many ways; the problem we have today is the reverse of the 1 we faced in the 1980's and I believe we can more easily address the issue of 'plenty of work and not enough workers' than 'plenty of workers and not enough work.' Through meeting the specific actions in the report, as well as working hard to improve the industry's image and get our messaging right, we can ensure a bright future for the industry throughout the whole City Region."

Portfolio holder for Education, Employment, Skills and Apprenticeships, Cllr Ian Maher, added:- "The findings of this report are mostly positive. We face a large pipeline of construction activity in the coming years which will bring economic growth to the City Region. But to ensure workers in our area are able to benefit from these opportunities, we need to address demand shortage now; and that is exactly what this action plan is designed to do."