Web Version | Update preferences | Unsubscribe Like Tweet Forward Manchester still the UK’s most ‘liveable’ city Labour Market & Apprenticeship Information Newsletter September 2017 If any National Careers Service Apprenticeship Ambassadors have stories about newly available opportunities or the success of existing apprentices please send them in for inclusion in future editions. The contact address is: The Economist intelligence unit (EIU) [email protected] published its 2017 ranking of living conditions in 140 cities around the world on Wednesday, with Manchester the fastest- UK trade deficit widens as fall in sterling fails to falling. It dropped eight improve export sales places to 51st, putting it just 0.3% above London Brexit negotiators urged to in 53rd. safeguard terms of trade with the EU amid signs that But with the EIU directly attributing the fall to an UK is becoming more increased threat of dependent on deals with the terrorism in the city trading bloc following the bombing of the Manchester Arena on Britain’s trade position with 22 May questions are the rest of the world being asked over the worsened in June as the sharp fall in the value of the pound since the fairness of the criteria. Brexit vote failed to lift sales of UK-made goods abroad. Melbourne retained the title of the world’s most The trade in goods deficit widened unexpectedly to £12.7bn, from liveable city for the £11.3bn in May, as exports fell by 2.8% but imports rose by 1.6% seventh consecutive year. according to the Office for National Statistics. It was the biggest Despite its fall, deficit in nine months and much wider than economists’ forecasts of Manchester remains the £11bn. UK’s most liveable city – a position it has held The figures are the latest sign that a weak pound is failing to boost since 2011 – and in the top tier globally, with a exports, despite making British goods cheaper abroad. The pound is score of 87.5%. Any city currently 13% lower against the dollar than it was on the day of the ranked above 80 is described as having “few, EU referendum, at $1.2988. It is down 15% against the euro, at if any, challenges to living €1.1093. standards”. Read more here Read more here UK unemployment falls to new 42-year low The future of jobs: is decent work for all a pipe dream? Unemployment in the UK fell by 57,000 in the three Now everything is up in the months to June, official air. AI is upon us. “The figures show, bringing the robots are coming”. Two jobless rate down to 4.4% distinct visions are battling it - its lowest since 1975. out for supremacy around The squeeze on real this core narrative. In one, incomes continues to the robots will save us; in grow, though at a slower the other they will ruin us – pace. and perhaps even become us eventually. Either we’ll Average weekly earnings live the life of Riley and increased by 2.1% never have to work again. Or else we’ll all be very poor – except for compared with a year the very, very rich who produce and own the robots. One way or earlier - slightly higher another our lives will change beyond recognition. than last month's 2% increase. The jobs of the future are in tasks like care and education, where But with inflation standing human interaction matters most. Or in renovation and refurbishment, at 2.6%, real earnings still where making and repairing calls on skills that are resolutely human fell by 0.5%, the ONS rather than machine. Or they are jobs that could brighten our lives figures showed and our hopes for the future, giving voice to our creative side and stimulating the imagination with skills and artistry only poorly Read more here reproduced by machines. In short, this economy is one potentially rich beyond our dreams in the need for human labour. Thousands of Asda workers face redundancy or Read more here reduced hours UK’s third-largest supermarket targets Young graduates reluctant to move for new staffing levels to cut costs jobs, says thinktank after worst annual results since Walmart takeover The Resolution Foundation says there has been a Thousands of Asda marked fall in UK labour workers are facing redundancy or a dramatic mobility since the turn of the cut in their working hours millennium as Britain’s third-largest supermarket chain looks Their study showed that the to cut costs. share of the population Asda has begun a prepared to switch both region and employer in 2016 had fallen from consultation with 3,257 0.8% to 0.6%. employees in 18 under- performing stores, singled The thinktank said the decline was only partly the result of the deep out as overstaffed relative to their current sales financial and economic crisis of 2007-09 and came despite a number performance. of factors – an increase in renting, a rise in the number of graduates and higher immigration – that would tend to make the country more The stores in the NW mobile. affected are Burnden Park, Bolton, Crewe, It said the evidence was that the decline was being driven by the Manchester Harpurhey, young, particularly young graduates, many of whom were giving up and Radcliffe near Bury. the chance of getting a pay rise by their reluctance to move. A person under 30 who moves job and employer secured an 11% boost to Asda is also looking at their wages, the Resolution Foundation said. staffing levels in a further 59 of its supermarkets, although at present this is The stay-at-home tendency among graduates coincided with an an informal process. The increase in the proportion of those with degrees doing non-graduate retailer is not looking to jobs and, according to the thinktank, was one possible explanation cut jobs in these stores for Britain’s dismal pay and productivity record over the past decade. but wants staff to agree to work in different Read more here departments when required. Read more here According to a new study, the North is best for Plans revealed for UK graduates. £45m scheme that could bring 1300 jobs The research, conducted by to Burnley property portal TheHouseShop, compiles a Commercial property firm list of 2016 graduate “hot Eshton has unveiled plans for a £45m spots.” extension at its Burnley Bridge scheme that could Sheffield came out first, with bring 1,300 jobs to the the perfect combination of area. affordable rent, good starting salaries, cheap pints and lots of places to socialise. The development, located at Junction 9 of the M65, London and Brighton were at the bottom of the findings, ranked as currently comprises the two worst places for quality of life. Burnley Bridge and Titanium Park, which span 80 acres. Rounding out the top 10 were: Leeds-based Eshton is 1. Sheffield proposing to expand the 2. Glasgow scheme with new space 3. Leeds on a 32-acre site south of 4. Newcastle the M65 carriageway, 5. Birmingham next to the A679 6. Liverpool Accrington Road. 7. Manchester The extension would be 8. Cardiff known as Burnley Bridge South and offer a mix of 9. Bristol warehousing and 10. Reading industrial accommodation adapted to occupier These results once again reinforce the North/South divide and show requirements. that although London advocates to be the best city for graduates in Read more here terms of employment, its sky-rocketing rental prices undermine its high salaries. Oldham Council and Langtree partnership Read more here to create 760 jobs at ‘key gateway’ Oldham Council and Manchester Airport continues to grow developer Langtree are set to generate hundreds The Secretary of State, of employment Chris Grayling for Transport opportunities by bringing forward the Hollinwood visited Manchester Junction project. Airport on July 21 as work begins on its £1bn The masterplan for the transformation programme. transformation of the derelict 30-acre site will The Manchester Airport include retail space, Transformation Programme leisure amenities and 150 (MAN-TP), currently the family homes, with North West’s biggest private investment, will aim to provide construction expenditure estimated to be £30m. passengers and airlines with facilities combining state-of-the-art services with enhanced customer service. The scheme will create 100 direct jobs during the Once complete, the development will raise the airport’s annual build phase and 20 in the capacity from its current level of around 20 million passengers to 45 local supply chain. In million. total, up to 760 gross operational jobs are Mr Grayling said: “Aviation is central to our future prosperity as we forecast to be created. leave the European Union. As a global, trading nation we want to build on the great industry we have today and create opportunities for Read more here people up and down the country. Are apprenticeships the solution to the “I welcome Manchester Airport Group’s £1bn programme to double UK’s skills gap? the size of Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 which will create 1,500 jobs. As a nation, we urgently need more professionals “This is great news for the local economy and for passengers who – engineers, designers, will be able to fly to more destinations, more often.” digital wizards and skilled managers – and the new apprenticeship levy has Read more here thrown a lifeline to companies scrabbling for talent. Schools and universities just aren’t Adult social care workforce continues to grow turning out enough people with the right skills to plug gaps in some sectors, say leading graduate New analysis from Skills for employers.