June 9, 2021
UK job quality continues to fall short
Job quality in the UK has been surprisingly unaffected by the Covid pandemic so far but continues to fall short on a number of key measures, according to the CIPD’s annual Good Work Index. (more…)
Search Results for: skills gap
June 7, 2021
The bullshit jobs theory may turn out to be, well…
The so-called ‘bullshit jobs theory’ – which argues that a large and rapidly increasing number of workers are undertaking jobs that they themselves recognise as being useless and of no social value – contains several major flaws, argue researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Birmingham. Even so, writing in Work, Employment and Society, the academics applaud its proponent, American anthropologist David Graeber, who died in September 2020, for highlighting the link between a sense of purpose in one’s job and psychological wellbeing.
May 19, 2021
Single parents in danger of being locked out of work and forced into poverty
A report published by single parent charity, Gingerbread, and the Institute for Employment Studies highlights how the world of work simply doesn’t work for single parents and warns things are set to get worse before they get better – putting even more single parent families at risk of poverty and creating a two-tier society, with single parents firmly at the bottom. (more…)
April 1, 2021
Employers report increased productivity benefits from homeworking
The productivity benefits of homeworking appear to have increased during the pandemic, with employers now more likely to say that the shift to homeworking has boosted productivity (33 percent) than they were in June 2020 (28 percent). This is according to new research by the CIPD, based on a survey of 2,000 employers and in-depth interviews with seven organisations in different sectors. (more…)
March 5, 2021
London crowned the most desirable city in the world to work
A new study on recruitment and workforce trends has crowned London as the world’s most desirable city to work in, with the UK capital holding onto the top spot, despite uncertainty around Brexit and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. (more…)
Progress for women in work could be back at 2017 levels by the end of this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to analysis conducted for 
February 11, 2021
Nearly half of young people put their career plans on hold due to pandemic
More than 40 percent of young people aged 16-24 surveyed in the UK say they are putting their career or education plans on hold until the pandemic is over. The research, commissioned by BAE Systems to mark National Apprenticeship Week (8-12 February), looks at the impact the pandemic has had on the ‘lost generation’ and their career aspirations. (more…)
February 5, 2021
Line managers are the unsung heroes of white-collar work
How good your line manager is makes the difference between an employee coping or struggling in lockdown. But too often line managers’ heroic efforts are not noticed by their employers, claims new report, titled Working under Covid-19 Lockdown: Transitions and Tensions. (more…)
November 26, 2020
Leading universities lag behind on sustainability teaching, research claims
Research conducted by EIT InnoEnergy, sustainable energy accelerator, claims that the world’s top ten universities including the University of Cambridge and Harvard University offer, on average, 2.8 courses focusing on sustainability and energy. This is compared to a global average of 5.6, as the accelerator calls for a more robust and comprehensive decarbonisation outlook by all major education players. (more…)
November 17, 2020
Most students don’t expect a ‘clear career path’ after graduation
The majority of students don’t expect they will be able to find a clear career path after graduating and almost one in 10 believes their prospects are ‘bleak’, a new survey claims. A poll of 1723 poll students conducted by UNiDAYS and insurance company Urban Jungle in October 2020 claims that just 37 percent of students believe they will find a career easily after leaving university. (more…)
November 9, 2020
Working from home could energise some of our overlooked cities
by Michel Serafinelli • Cities, Comment, Flexible working