In recent years, labour market developments have altered the demand for labour. Increasingly, employers are looking for adaptable workers, with more 'transversal' and 'relational' competences. The nature of skills required to be considered efficient in a job has thus evolved. In this situation
A long-running concern for successive UK governments has been the persistent productivity gap between the UK and its main competitors (UK9805121F [1]). Productivity has taken centre stage in the 'New' Labour government’s economic strategy (UK9902182F [2]), being viewed as the key to raising
In November 2003, the EIRO national centres in each EU Member State (plus Norway), were asked, in response to a questionnaire, to give a brief overview of: the procedures and costs involved in collective redundancies - ie the dismissal of a number of employees for economic/organisational reasons
The attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001 have had a dramatic impact on airline passenger numbers and have heightened fears of a major recession in the USA. The immediate consequences were felt across the world's airline industry as aircraft were grounded, routes cut and large-scale job losses
The "knowledge economy" has become a common term to encompass what are perceived to be all-embracing changes in the nature of competition and production. The key element is the idea that the widespread use of information and communication technologies has led to knowledge being the most important
Productivity is firmly back on the agenda for UK policy-makers. After the attempts of Conservative governments in the 1980s to improve productivity through deregulation and reducing the power of trade unions, the 1990s brought a recognition that these changes had still failed to improve Britain's
From 1979, the economic policy of successive Conservative Governments was based on a fundamental belief in the effectiveness of free markets. In the case of the labour market, there was an emphasis on deregulation and the importance of flexibility in creating employment and economic growth. The