Recruitment More than 2.5 million people on long-term sick leave: ONS figures

MORE than 2.5 million people are off work due to ill health, according to new figures.

The latest employment figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 1 in 13 people currently working was on long-term sick leave.

Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, told the BBC Today programme the number of people on long-term sick leave had risen by ‘well over 400,000’ since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Long Covid could be a factor, he said, as well as common conditions such as mental health problems and back and neck pain.

Meanwhile the new data, covering the first three months of the year, showed wage increases continuing to lag behind inflation.

With price rises taken into account, the ONS numbers showed regular pay fell by 2%.

The employment rate edged higher, to 75.9%, while the unemployment rate also rose, to 3.9%.

And the number of vacancies fell once again, although around a million roles remain unfilled, according to the data.

Economic performance was also hindred

The Blackmore Vale Ltd continues to enjoy great success and we are looking for an experienced Account Manager

You will be managing a regular client base as well as generating new business selling into various magazines. Previous sales experience is required and you should be hungry for success. The role is a hybrid of working from home/office and out and about within the Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire areas. You must own your own vehicle – a mileage allowance is paid.

Previous sales experience Hungry for success

Hours are Monday to Friday 9am – 5.30pm. Salary is dependent on experience.

If you’ve got what it takes to be part of this fantastic team, please send your application to debi.thorne@blackmorevale.net by strike action, the report said, with the number of working days lost due to industrial action reaching 556,000 in March.

Closing date for applications is Friday 26th May 2023.

It came as that month saw walkouts in industries including rail, the NHS and education.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “It’s encouraging the unemployment rate remains historically low, but difficulty in finding staff and rising prices are a worry for many families and business.” n To see the ONS data, log on to www. ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/ peopleinwork/ employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/ uklabourmarket/previousReleases

The shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said family finances were ‘being squeezed to breaking point by a further fall in real wages’, with fewer people in employment than before the pandemic an indication of the Government being a ‘drag’ on the economy.

ENTREPRENEURS have lower levels of burnout compared to employees, according to new reaearch.

The study, conducted by Professor Ewald Kibler of Aalto University School of Business, looked at the common beliefs about entrepreneurship and found entrepreneurial work produces significantly fewer daily work stressors than employed work.

It also offers higher levels of beneficial job autonomy, since entrepreneurs enjoy more freedom to design and execute the work the way they want.

“Entrepreneurs may be better protected from burnout because they experience fewer demands, such as administrative tasks, that are linked to burnout. This contradicts previous research that states entrepreneurs experience stressful work demands,” said Professor Kibler.

He said employees have no opportunity to turn strong work engagement in into protection from burnout.

Prof Kibler advised organisations to consider more entrepreneurial arrangements for jobs to reduce high burnout risks and stress spirals.

The research also revealed serial entrepreneurs are not necessarily better equipped to cope with stress than entrepreneurs who are running a business for the first time.

“There are several explanations for this. Every business venture comes with its unique set of challenges and obstacles, regardless of whether the entrepreneur is a novice or a serial entrepreneur,” he added.

Bryan G Paulley Ltd

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