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Ageing population and low fertility rate is leading to European labour force shortage

Ageing population and low fertility rate is leading to European labour force shortage

Ageing population and low fertility rate is leading to Europe's growing labour force shortage

Europe faces an increasing labour force shortage, which means that between 2017 and 2025, 184 out of 263 metropolitan areas from the EU-28 will record a negative growth rate in their working age population. According to a recent analysis by GlobalData this is due to a combination of lower fertility rates across most European Union (EU) countries, which is causing a reduction the growth rates of the youth population, while increased life expectancy is leading to a steady rise in the growth of the elderly population. But according to Ramnivas Mundada, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, ‘‘Measures such as increasing the levels of post-retirement employment opportunities, offering more support for women returning to the workplace and investing in youth employment, education and training could help to mitigate the impact of these demographic changes over the long term.’’

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Ageing population is the greatest demographic challenge

Image credit: <a href='https://www.123rf.com/photo_2475828_old-hands-on-clean-table.html'>logoboom / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Forget Gen Y, a new report published today by the House of Lords Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change warns that it’s our rapidly ageing population that will have a huge impact on society, work and public services. Predicting a 50 per cent rise in the number of those aged 65+ and a 100 per cent increase in those aged 85+ between 2010 and 2030, the report advocates enabling people to work for longer, many of whom are legally entitled to do, since the removal of a statutory retirement age in 2011. According to the report, “Ready for Aging?” working for longer would increase income from work, potentially increase savings, and reduce the time of dependence on those savings.

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Office attendance and desk use are on the rise as firms make most of real estate

Office attendance and desk use are on the rise as firms make most of real estate

office attendance and desk use continue to go up, although the provision of workstations has been reduced as part of an overall rationalisation of corporate real estateA new report from AWA claims that office attendance and desk use continue to go up, although the provision of workstations has been reduced as part of an overall rationalisation of corporate real estate. The report also suggests that this may have reached its optimal point right now as just 13 percent of UK organisations are considering further downsizing, suggesting that most firms think they may have reduced their real estate as far as they can. More →

Where are the iconic office furniture products of yesterday?

Where are the iconic office furniture products of yesterday?

A new image of Bauhaus students from 1927 raises interesting questions about the design of office furnitureLate last year, this image went viral on social media. It is of a group of Bauhaus design students from around 1927. They are called Martha Erps, Katt Both and Ruth Hellos. The full image (reproduced below) shows them with legendary office furniture designer Marcel Breuer, who Erps would later marry. The story of the photograph can be found here. On social media, though, the standard response from people of a certain vintage – my vintage admittedly – is to suggest that they were last seen supporting Echo and the Bunnymen at the Barrowland Glasgow in 1984.  More →

Why does colour psychology make so much difference to us?

Why does colour psychology make so much difference to us?

In 2013, two Australian academics set out to discover the answer to a deceptively simple question. Why is there such a thing as colour psychology, but not shape, line or texture psychology? The answers they come up with are complex, arcane and wide-ranging but they manage to sum them up to some extent in the conclusion to the paper they published. “No other visual attribute shares such diverse representations”, they wrote. “Study into shape, line, and texture hardly competes. For this reason, there are no proportion-shape-line-texture prediction agencies, and chromotherapy is not challenged by proportion-shape-line-texture therapies. Colour remains special and, given its rich and complex heritage, is likely to remain so.” More →

Is retirement no longer an option for many people? This report thinks so

Is retirement no longer an option for many people? This report thinks so

More than two-thirds of UK adults believe that retirement in their 60s will soon be a thing of the pastMore than two-thirds of UK adults believe that retiring in their 60s will soon be a thing of the past, according to new research from Canada Life. The findings, released in the company’s inaugural Life100+ report [promotional content], claims to highlight shifting expectations as people prepare for longer lifespans, with retirement plans and financial security becoming major concerns. More →

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

Accessible and inclusive design should be a priority for the property market

The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environmentGrosvenor and The Crown Estate have launched a new report that aims to shed light on the challenges faced by people with physical and hidden disabilities when accessing and working within buildings and public spaces across the UK. The joint report, Inclusive Spaces and Places: A collaborative approach to inclusive design, highlights the urgent need for inclusive design in the built environment, emphasising the barriers that prevent millions from fully engaging with public and commercial spaces as well as the potential societal and economic losses this results in. More →

Over 57 and looking for work? Forget it, say HR managers

Over 57 and looking for work? Forget it, say HR managers

Millions of people aged 57 and over in the UK are being overlooked when looking for work, as employers consider this age too oldMillions of workers aged 57 and over in the UK are being overlooked for job opportunities, as employers increasingly consider this age ‘too old’ to hire, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Totaljobs, claims that a third of people over 50 worry they will struggle to find work due to age discrimination, with one in seven reporting being rejected for jobs because of their age. The study suggests that two-fifths of HR decision-makers have faced pressure to hire younger candidates, placing older workers at a disadvantage when looking for work. In response, more than a fifth of over-50s have chosen to omit their age from their CVs, while a quarter hesitate to apply for roles, fearing potential bias. More →

GenAI will change the nature of work and encourage people to spend more time working together

GenAI will change the nature of work and encourage people to spend more time working together

UK chief executives see implementing Generative AI (GenAI) as an opportunity to change the nature of work and create highly skilled workforces without reducing the number of jobs in the marketUK chief executives see implementing Generative AI (GenAI) as an opportunity to change the nature of work and create highly skilled workforces without reducing the number of jobs in the market, according to KPMG’s 10th annual CEO Outlook survey. KPMG surveyed more than 1,300 CEOs around the world – 150 in the UK – in July and August, revealing that two thirds of UK CEOs (65 percent and 76 percent globally) see GenAI as a positive disruptor with 68 percent (65 percent globally) agreeing that GenAI remains a top investment priority. More →

Menopause is a workplace issue. Here’s why

Menopause is a workplace issue. Here’s why

 

Menopause is one of those things that until a few years ago, most of the population hadn’t heard of. Even if they had, it certainly wasn’t a workplace issue. Which is interesting as half the population will have one in some form. More specifically more than one in every ten people in our workforce is currently menopausal. More →

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A new approach is needed to tackle ill health and economic inactivity, report argues

A ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demandA ‘whole-of-government approach’ is needed to tackle the causes of ill health, increase economic activity and reduce NHS demand, a new report from the NHS Confederation and Boston Consulting Group claims. According to the report, “Improving our Nation’s Health: A Whole-of-Government Approach to Tackling the Causes of Long-Term Sickness and Economic Inactivity”, reintegrating between half and three-quarters of people who have dropped out of the workforce for reasons of ill health since 2020 could deliver an estimated £109-177 billion boost to the UK’s GDP (2-3 per cent in 2029) and unlock £35-57 billion in fiscal revenue over the next five years. More →

Arts and crafts boost personal wellbeing more than work, study finds

Arts and crafts boost personal wellbeing more than work, study finds

A new study suggests that engaging in arts and crafts activities can significantly enhance personal wellbeing, offering greater benefits than traditional employmenA new study suggests that engaging in arts and crafts activities can significantly enhance personal wellbeing, offering greater benefits than traditional employment. The research, conducted by a team from Anglia Ruskin University and published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, found that activities like pottery, painting, knitting, and woodworking can increase life satisfaction, happiness, and the sense that life is worthwhile. These findings suggest that arts and crafts, often seen as mere hobbies, could be a powerful tool for improving mental health and wellbeing on a broad scale. More →