Monday, 26th July 2010 | by Ray Martin
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Thursday, 15th July 2010 | by Ray Martin
Increase in part-time workers results in labour market improvement
The number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 34,000 in the three months to May, to 2.47 million, official figures show.
Data released today from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also shows a reduction of 20,800 in the numbers claiming jobseeker’s allowance, to 1.46 million. The jobless rate is therefore now 7.8 per cent, down from 7.9 per cent.
The number of people in work rose by 160,000 in the three months to May, the biggest rise since August 2006. However, most of the increase was attributed to an increase in part-time workers (up by 117,000 in the quarter) and self-employed workers (up by 59,000); the full-time workforce actually diminished by 22,000.
The ONS said that 27 per cent of people in work are employed part-time, the highest proportion since records began in 1992.
Wednesday, 14th July 2010 | by Ray Martin
Responsibility for The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and the public sector procurement agency, Buying Solutions, will move to the Cabinet Office where they will form part of the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG).
Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said the move will bring together in one place all the cross-government operational functions, including procurement, project management, IT and Civil Service workforce and reform functions.
The Efficiency and Reform Group will have a strong mandate at the centre of government to ensure departments work together to quickly tackle waste and improve accountability across all these areas. The Group’s work is overseen by an Efficiency Board, co-chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
In a further boost for the work of the Efficiency and Reform Group, Francis Maude has announced that three senior business leaders, who have all worked in Whitehall, will bring their years of experience to the Efficiency Board. They are:
- Sir Peter Gershon, Chairman of Tate & Lyle, former government efficiency adviser and first chief executive of the OGC;
- Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Executive Director, Tesco PLC; formerly a senior career civil servant; and
- Dr Martin Read, Non-Executive Director of Invensys, Aegis and Lloyd’s of London.