Youth unemployment in London, UK is at a very high level, not seen in last 25 years. Here are some stats: 1 in 4 youth (25 percent) aged between 16 to 24 is unemployed (total 120,000 people), nearly triple the average London unemployment rate of 8.9 per cent. Together with Yorkshire, London at 25 per cent, has the worst youth unemployment rate in the UK, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. There is no doubt that these youth are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis unleashed by massive de-leveraging in the financial world since year 2008. It has been 5 years of reducing economic activity, and the signs of economic growth are not yet visible. The unemployment in London is highest among London’s black and Asian youth, and problem is worst in the Olympic boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, which have among the highest number of young people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in London. Continue reading
Category Archives: Jobs & Careers
The Inner Battle of Writers
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate the drive, self-esteem, and human spirit of many aspiring Writers of any age. These Writers are faced with an obstacle that make them stop, think twice and question their right to be a part of a respected community. This even leads them to doubt their ambition of pursuing their literary or journalistic calling. It is that inner voice echoing: “Huh! Who do you think you are, next JK Rowling in the making?” or “Oh God, stop pretending you have writing talent!” and more similar lines of thinking. Some may call it a fiend while others may describe it as the self-defeating aspect of a person. Continue reading
Skills for Career Success
What do employers look for in potential employees? That was the question that was posted recently on a career discussion forum online. Naturally, for each different position, the particular answers to that question would be different. However, there are some common skills that employers look for in all employees, irrespective of the industry or seniority. Following are 6 skills for success:
1. BASIC SKILLS: Reading, writing and arithmetic. Employers are seeking employees who can read well, can write coherently, and who can calculate mathematics in a business environment (fractions, percentages, etc.) Add to that basic computer knowledge (e.g. spreadsheet, word processing, etc.) to complete the basic skills needed for employment success.
2. PERSONAL SKILLS: Can a potential employee speak well? Can he/she answer questions in a positive, informative manner? Can the prospect provide good customer service? While not everyone has an outgoing personality, successful employees can communicate in a non-confrontational, positive manner with their team members, subordinates, management, and customers. Being able to work well with others is a vital skill for success in all jobs. Continue reading
Life is About Choices and the Decisions We Make
Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to partnerships, marriage, and spiritual discovery. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.
Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad? Continue reading
How Do We Create More Jobs In America?
When it comes to creating jobs in these United States, there are no easy answers. We live in a Capitalist society, and as such, creating jobs really has nothing to do with anyone except those who own companies and just so happen to require a workforce. There will never be a government program that can create solid jobs for Americans, and any attempt to do so would be temporary. If we lived in North Korea, we could rely on the government to come up with momentary jobs for us that wouldn’t pay as well as an American would like, but because we don’t (and thank goodness we don’t) we have to think of other ways to do such a thing. The great thing about living in the present is that we’ve already faced problems like this in the past. When we look to history, we can learn from the mistakes of old instead of making the same mistakes. Continue reading