Now, as has been touched on by this website via a payday loan press release, payday loan lenders should not be lending to those that are not currently employed. With the OFT now investigating this we have decided to run a article about the difficult job market the UK is currently facing.
A nation with a serious unemployment problem is a nation in peril. As more and more of us struggle to survive in this difficult British economy, it is apparent that one real lifeline to the disaffected masses is a job. Official numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) point to an alarming trend: the number of unemployed UK citizens had soared to 2.68 million at the end of 2011. And worse, the figure continues to increase by 1,300 a day. The UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) went on record recently, noting that the figures are “even worse than the bleak economic forecasts predicted, with new records achieved for youth and female unemployment.” The TUC is calling for the government to come up with “bold solutions” for the country’s unemployment crisis. One possible solution advanced by the TUC was a “job guarantee for any young person out of work for six months.”
Jobs for all – heard that one before
But how do you guarantee a job to a person unqualified to hold that job? There are those who contend that the jobs are out there but we’re not preparing our youth for them. It was hard to ignore the recent news headlines that touted a major hotel chain as joining a growing list of employers suggesting that job applicants in the UK don’t have the basic skills for employability. This hotel chain was quite candid in the assertion that only 40% of its jobs are held by native Brits, with the rest of its positions filled largely by Eastern Europeans. Talk about fuel for the immigration controversy. But do we really expect a company to put an obviously unqualified person in a job? That certainly wouldn’t be a company expected to succeed in its core business. The revelation about the unemployment situation at the hotel chain came at a recent seminar put on by the Westminster Employment Forum. Also in attendance at the Forum was a MP who began to get to the underlying concern: questioning whether our educational system was properly doing its job in preparing our youth for the real world.
The comment by the MP was not an isolated observation; it is becoming a growing refrain. A major new report by the Work Foundation indicates that “unless Britain’s schooling system is better aligned to match future growth industries, the country’s unemployment problems and skills shortages will intensify.” Certainly it would be advantageous all around if our school systems were able to train our youth in many of the very technical and specified areas unique to any number of vocations. But industry doesn’t expect that; it’s quite capable of handling that chore itself. A recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) indicates that fully 72% of employers will be maintaining (and in some cases, increasing) spending on training. What concerns industry most is its need (18%) to spend money on remedial literacy and numeracy training for young people just out of school.
It’s not just that our youth aren’t grounded in the basics (reading, writing, arithmetic). Far too many aren’t getting grounded in the “soft skills” that are universally sought by employers. Skills like:
- Communications – absolutely critical in all businesses (listening, verbal, writing), mentioned most often by business
- Analytical/research – the ability to identify key issues that need to be addressed
- Technical literacy – we exist in a computer driven world
- Multicultural sensitivity – one of the biggest issues in the workplace is diversity
- Problem solving – no matter what the job, problems can arise. They must be solved
These are just basic life skills. Isn’t that the primary purpose of any school system: teaching our youth how to survive? According to industry, our schools are getting a failing grade. The next time you see a long line at the unemployment office, you’ll know why.

But those facts don’t reflect the issue. Our society is multi-layered and many on the lower strata simply cannot afford insurance, no matter whether it might be needed or not. According to the organisation
So let’s start with pensions
In the UK there are an average of 17.1 million families, they have an average of 1.8 children and an average income of £32,779. The average United Kingdom family owns at least one computer, at least 79 % have a mortgage and at least 80% own a mobile phone or device. These statistics tell us little about just how hard Brits have been hit by the credit crunch and the endless economic downsizing we are all told has engulfed us over the following years. What really is happening behind closed doors? Thank god for British journalists, as this story has now been broken, and it’s not good news for Mothers that like a large lunch.
The payday loan industry was just getting started in the United Kingdom in 2006, but by 2009 it made about £242 million profit. Since then growth has continued at an exponential rate attracting more and more lenders from Europe as well as the States. These loans do not come cheap but there are so many reasons why residents of Great Britain have a need for these types of loans. The ongoing economic sluggishness has certainly contributed to it, as has unemployment, low wages, even lower wage increases and higher expenses all playing a role.
Vue Cinemas offer mid-morning showings of children-oriented films for just £1 (£2 for 3D showings), and you could follow this with a restaurant lunch to make the day really special. Many restaurants offer cheaper deals at lunchtimes, and if you look online you can find a number of money-off vouchers, half price coupons and even loyalty cards which will offer a free meal to your group.
Put your debts in order of importance. Food, shelter and taxes are the most important, so make sure you have added your rent and council tax into this, after these everything else can be ranked in order of which are the most urgent. Credit cards, any loans and gas and electricity bills are important, and will need to be paid, but are not as essential as basic living expenses so make sure these fall somewhere lower down on your list.
