Netherlands – Job vacancies up in Q2

The number of job vacancies grew by 16,000 in Q2 2018 when compared to the previous quarter, according to data from Statistics Netherlands.

At the end of the second quarter, there were 251,000 job vacancies, with growth continuing for five years now.

Meanwhile, in Q2 2018, the number of full-time and part-time...

Switzerland – Majority of employees are satisfied with work-life balance

A study from the PageGroup found that 75% of employees in Switzerland are satisfied with their work-life balance.

PageGroup’s study also found that 44% of employees expect their work-life balance to improve in the next 12 months.

According to PageGroup, with a growing overlap of professional and private...

UK – Majority of workers considering starting their own business, study finds

The majority, or 71%, of the UK’s employed workforce have considered starting their own business due to having little or no access to flexible working options, according to a study from freelance marketplace PeoplePerHour.

The study of more than 1,000 employees in the UK found that 68% have little or...

Ireland – Brightwater Recruitment undergoes management buyout

Irish specialist recruitment agency Brightwater Recruitment is under new ownership following a management buy-out.

The recapitalisation was led by the current senior management team of managing director Barbara McGrath, finance director John O’Donnell, and executive search director Estelle Davis. The...

UK – Judge rejects HMRC’s online assessment tool as contractor reclaim thousands in overpaid tax

A tribunal judge has rejected HMRC’s online Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool by ruling that a contracting professional was, according to case law, self-employed and not inside IR35 as the test had determined.

Crystal Umbrella reported that business analyst Tony Elbourn, who was contracted...

France – Randstad: Non-management compensation sees largest increase since 2013

Non-management compensation, that is wages for non-executives, in France increased by 1.8% in the first half of 2018, the strongest increase in five years, according to data from Randstad France.

Driven by growth and the shortage of certain skills (particularly in the construction industry), the average...

UK – Graduate unemployment rate falls to lowest level in 39 years

The unemployment rate for graduates six months after leaving university fell to 5.1% this year, the lowest since the 1979 survey when it was 4.9%, according to a study from Prospects, a provider of skills, education, care and support.

Prospects’ data also found that employment increased from 74.2% to...

Europe – Digital Transformation at the top of concerns for CFOs, survey finds

The Digital Transformation is right at the top of the agenda for Chief Financial Officers in Europe as survey data from the Horváth resources barometer found that for 77% of CFOs, the upheaval caused by the digital transition is the biggest issue within the company.

Horváth & Partners surveyed companies...

UK – Rise of the robots could mean a four-day workweek (The Guardian)

A four-day working week could become commonplace in the UK as automation, and AI increase workplace efficiency, The Guardian reports, citing data from the Social Market Foundation. The study suggests that a 10% gain in workforce productivity could allow employers to produce the same output with a 38-hour...

UK – Number of temp employees decreases 4.9%, unemployment rate rises

The number of temporary employees in the UK decreased by 4.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis to a total of 1.52 million in the three-month period from June to August 2018 when compared to the same period a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Temporary workers are self-identified...