Over the weekend, a regional cafe in Australia’s New South Wales garnered criticism after a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) did a story on how they were forced to hire children as young as 11 years. This comes as the Australian state NSW does not have a minimum working age but you have to be at least 11 years old before you can receive a tax file number.

Speaking to ABC News, the owners of Long Track Pantry in the small Australian town of Jugiong, Huw and Juliet Robb said that they opened the cafe a few years ago and faced an employee shortage. Notably, the population of the town is 200 out of which the school kids make up the majority of the factory’s 100-strong workforce, reported ABC.&nbsp;

The school children are paid award wages and mostly work in the hospitality side of the business which includes, washing dishes, making jams and relishes and serving customers. While different states and territories across the country have provisions and laws in place to prevent child labour some of them do not stipulate a minimum age.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Australian government had been considering a recommendation to make the minimum working age 15 or 13 for “light work” with some exceptions for those below 13, reported the Guardian. The&nbsp;report sparked outrage as one-star reviews of Long Track Pantry appeared over the weekend on Google while many accused the cafe of “child labour”, added the media report.&nbsp;

One Twitter user wrote, “Understandably, I’ve stopped at this cafe and purchased many of their products. Blissfully unaware that I’m supporting child labour.”&nbsp;

However, many even came to the cafe’s defence saying that children were paid award wages while political and economics writer Tim Colebatch said it was “common sense” and how he got his first job at the age of nine, adding that “it was a great learning experience”.&nbsp;

According to the owners, of the Jugiong jam factory where the children work, they are onboarded with strict training programs devised by staff members with teaching backgrounds, reported ABC News. Additionally, staff members in their late teens or early 20 teach kids who start off by dishwashing and food preparation before they are given “customer-facing roles”.&nbsp;

“So many of our managers now are the ones that have started at 11,” told the factory head of wellbeing and culture Treen Brooker to ABC News. As of last year, about 214,500 children aged 15 and under were legally working in Australia, reported the Guardian citing an employment and workplace relations survey.&nbsp; 
 
The Australian government is yet to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention concerning the minimum age for admission to employment and would be the 176th country to do so. This also comes after a parliamentary committee, last month, while recommending the government to sign the treaty also said that working may be beneficial for young people.&nbsp; 
 
However, it added, that evidence also suggests “except in cases where a youth works only a few hours per week, child and youth labor is harmful to development, educational success and health”. 
 
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Over the weekend, a regional cafe in Australia’s New South Wales garnered criticism after a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) did a story on how they were forced to hire children as young as 11 years.

Over the weekend, a regional cafe in Australia’s New South Wales garnered criticism after a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) did a story on how they were forced to hire children as young as 11 years. This comes as the Australian state NSW does not have a minimum working age but you have to be at least 11 years old before you can receive a tax file number. Speaking to ABC News, the owners of Long Track Pantry in the small Australian town of Jugiong, Huw and Juliet Robb said that they opened the cafe a few years ago and faced an employee shortage. Notably, the population of the town is 200 out of which the school kids make up the majority of the factory’s 100-strong workforce, reported ABC. The school children are paid award wages and mostly work in the hospitality side of the business which includes, washing dishes, making jams and relishes and serving customers. While different states and territories across the country have provisions and laws in place to prevent child labour some of them do not stipulate a minimum age. Meanwhile, the Australian government had been considering a recommendation to make the minimum working age 15 or 13 for “light work” with some exceptions for those below 13, reported the Guardian. The report sparked outrage as one-star reviews of Long Track Pantry appeared over the weekend on Google while many accused the cafe of “child labour”, added the media report. One Twitter user wrote, “Understandably, I’ve stopped at this cafe and purchased many of their products. Blissfully unaware that I’m supporting child labour.” However, many even came to the cafe’s defence saying that children were paid award wages while political and economics writer Tim Colebatch said it was “common sense” and how he got his first job at the age of nine, adding that “it was a great learning experience”. According to the owners, of the Jugiong jam factory where the children work, they are onboarded with strict training programs devised by staff members with teaching backgrounds, reported ABC News. Additionally, staff members in their late teens or early 20 teach kids who start off by dishwashing and food preparation before they are given “customer-facing roles”. “So many of our managers now are the ones that have started at 11,” told the factory head of wellbeing and culture Treen Brooker to ABC News. As of last year, about 214,500 children aged 15 and under were legally working in Australia, reported the Guardian citing an employment and workplace relations survey. The Australian government is yet to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention concerning the minimum age for admission to employment and would be the 176th country to do so. This also comes after a parliamentary committee, last month, while recommending the government to sign the treaty also said that working may be beneficial for young people. However, it added, that evidence also suggests “except in cases where a youth works only a few hours per week, child and youth labor is harmful to development, educational success and health”. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Australia: Cafe hires 11-year-olds sparks criticism over minimum age for workers

In its third round of layoffs since last year, Coinbase Global Inc. said on Tuesday that it would cut its workforce by around 950 workers as part of a reorganisation strategy, reported Reuters.

The company anticipates restructuring costs to range between $149 million and $163 million.

More than a trillion dollars were lost in the cryptocurrency industry last year due to rising interest rates and concerns about an impending recession.

The downturn, including Celsius Network and Three Arrows Capital, also prompted significant business closures.

The greatest hit came after crypto exchange FTX declared bankruptcy in November. Due to its quick decline, major exchanges' user money-holding practices are now under intense regulatory scrutiny.

"We also saw the fallout from unscrupulous actors in the industry, and there could still be further contagion," Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong said in a blog post, according to Reuters.

"We will be shutting down several projects where we have a lower probability of success."

Coinbase stated that it had nothing else to say regarding the programmes it intended to halt.

Those layoffs come on the heels of news that Genesis, a cryptocurrency lender, laid off an additional 30 per cent of its workforce last week, marking the second round of job cuts in less than six months.

This year has seen more problems for the cryptocurrency industry, including declining deposits, job losses, and several legal obstacles.

Coinbase cut the size of its recruiting and institutional onboarding teams by more than 60 in November after laying off 1,100 employees - or 18 per cent of its staff, in June,

In keeping with the sector's declining fortunes, the company's shares lost about 86 per cent of their value last year.

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In its third round of layoffs since last year, Coinbase Global Inc. said on Tuesday that it would cut its workforce by around 950 workers as part of a reorganisation strategy, reported Reuters.

In its third round of layoffs since last year, Coinbase Global Inc. said on Tuesday that it would cut its workforce by around 950 workers as part of a reorganisation strategy, reported Reuters. The company anticipates restructuring costs to range between $149 million and $163 million. More than a trillion dollars were lost in the cryptocurrency industry last year due to rising interest rates and concerns about an impending recession. The downturn, including Celsius Network and Three Arrows Capital, also prompted significant business closures. The greatest hit came after crypto exchange FTX declared bankruptcy in November. Due to its quick decline, major exchanges' user money-holding practices are now under intense regulatory scrutiny. "We also saw the fallout from unscrupulous actors in the industry, and there could still be further contagion," Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong said in a blog post, according to Reuters. "We will be shutting down several projects where we have a lower probability of success." Coinbase stated that it had nothing else to say regarding the programmes it intended to halt. Those layoffs come on the heels of news that Genesis, a cryptocurrency lender, laid off an additional 30 per cent of its workforce last week, marking the second round of job cuts in less than six months. This year has seen more problems for the cryptocurrency industry, including declining deposits, job losses, and several legal obstacles. Coinbase cut the size of its recruiting and institutional onboarding teams by more than 60 in November after laying off 1,100 employees - or 18 per cent of its staff, in June, In keeping with the sector's declining fortunes, the company's shares lost about 86 per cent of their value last year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

More layoffs in the crypto world: Coinbase to cut almost 1,000 jobs

The Federal Trade Commission, a US regulator, on Thursday proposed to ban non-compete clauses stating that employer restriction suppresses wages artificially for workers who are interested in changing employments.&nbsp;

The proposal would bar businesses from signing non-compete agreements with employees and the employers will have to rescind any such existing clauses.&nbsp;

As per the FTC, around 30 million Americans are currently working under such agreements. It stated that the proposal can increase the wages of employees by around $300 billion per year.

ALSO READ| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-govt-to-turn-away-cubans-nicaraguans-and-haitians-at-us-border-549845">Biden govt to turn away Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians at US border</a>

FTC chairperson Lina Khan said, “The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy.”&nbsp;

"Non-competes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," she stated.

The FTC stated that the measure will not apply to other restrictions in employment like non-disclosure agreements.&nbsp;

However, the proposal received the US Chamber of Commerce's scathing response which called it "blatantly unlawful" in its statement.

WATCH|&nbsp;WION Fineprint | Massive hike in U.S. Visa fees expected

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Senior vice president of the business lobby Sean Heather said, "Since the agency's creation over 100 years ago, Congress has never delegated the FTC anything close to the authority it would need to promulgate such a competition rule. The Chamber is confident that this unlawful action will not stand."

FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson, who voted against the proposed rule, said that the measure is a "radical departure from hundreds of years of legal precedent" that appeared unsupported by evidence, predicting it will "lead to protracted litigation in which the Commission is unlikely to prevail."

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Federal Trade Commission, a US regulator, on Thursday proposed to ban non-compete clauses stating that employer restriction suppresses wages artificially for workers who are interested in changing employments.

The Federal Trade Commission, a US regulator, on Thursday proposed to ban non-compete clauses stating that employer restriction suppresses wages artificially for workers who are interested in changing employments. The proposal would bar businesses from signing non-compete agreements with employees and the employers will have to rescind any such existing clauses. As per the FTC, around 30 million Americans are currently working under such agreements. It stated that the proposal can increase the wages of employees by around $300 billion per year. ALSO READ| Biden govt to turn away Cubans, Nicaraguans and Haitians at US border FTC chairperson Lina Khan said, “The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy.” "Non-competes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," she stated. The FTC stated that the measure will not apply to other restrictions in employment like non-disclosure agreements. However, the proposal received the US Chamber of Commerce's scathing response which called it "blatantly unlawful" in its statement. WATCH| WION Fineprint | Massive hike in U.S. Visa fees expected Senior vice president of the business lobby Sean Heather said, "Since the agency's creation over 100 years ago, Congress has never delegated the FTC anything close to the authority it would need to promulgate such a competition rule. The Chamber is confident that this unlawful action will not stand." FTC Commissioner Christine Wilson, who voted against the proposed rule, said that the measure is a "radical departure from hundreds of years of legal precedent" that appeared unsupported by evidence, predicting it will "lead to protracted litigation in which the Commission is unlikely to prevail." (With inputs from agencies)

US regulator proposes to ban non-compete clauses with workers

The government of UAE has a special new year's gift for its employees. Government employees wanting to start their own businesses will get a one-year-long paid leave. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: UAE govt employees get one-year leave to set up business

2022 hasn't been great for workers all across the world, but CEOs, on the other hand, made the most of it. India Inc's CEOs took home 4% higher pay in the last fiscal year, while employees struggled to keep up with inflation. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Was your increment inflation-adjusted?

100 companies in the UK have moved to permanent 4-day work week. Employees will be given an additional day off, and this will not affect their salary. What is stopping Indian companies from making the switch?

Gravitas: 100 UK companies move to permanent 4-day work week

On Monday, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the 10th edition of its monitoring report on the World of Work said that global employment growth will “deteriorate significantly” in the upcoming quarter of 2022. The report has attributed this fall to the economic turmoil caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the tighter monetary policy on consumption.&nbsp;

“On current trends, global employment growth will deteriorate significantly in the fourth quarter of 2022,” said the United Nations body, citing 40 million fewer full-time jobs between July-September this year when compared to the fourth quarter in 2019, the year prior to the pandemic being the benchmark level.&nbsp;

While early 2022 witnessed a recovery in the global hours worked was reserved in the second and third quarters which the report says is due to the reintroduction of Covid-related restrictions which have caused a disruption in the Chinese labour market. Additionally, deterioration is also due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine which has consequently led to inflation and adversely affected energy and food exports.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/21st-century-and-yet-50-million-people-across-the-world-are-still-bound-in-modern-slavery-un-515377">It's 21st century and yet 50 million people across the world are still bound in 'modern slavery': UN</a>

The ILO has also raised an alarm about the declining job vacancies and rise in unemployment in the upcoming months noting the sharp declines in vacancy growth as well as signs of the labour market cooling considerably in advanced economies. This also comes amid several major companies across the world announcing job cuts affecting thousands of people across the world.&nbsp;

According to the report, “the outlook for the labour market is currently highly uncertain, with growing downside risks, including the impacts of high inflation, tightening monetary policy, increasing debt burdens and declining consumer confidence.” 
&nbsp; 
“We cannot insist enough on the need for social packages and the need to ensure that the monetary tightening to combat the inflation is really dovetailed with social measures,” said the ILO director-general Gilbert Houngbo during a press conference.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-un-report-accuses-switzerland-of-racial-discrimination-522484">Gravitas: UN report accuses Switzerland of racial discrimination</a>

Similarly, the report shows how excessive policy tightening could adversely affect “jobs and incomes in both advanced and developing countries”. Houngbo has also called for a series of policies aimed at supporting those most affected, which reportedly includes redirecting some of the windfall corporate profits towards jobs or income support.&nbsp;

“Tackling this deeply worrying global employment situation, and preventing a significant labour market downturn, will require comprehensive, integrated and balanced policies both nationally and globally,” said the new director-general in a statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

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On Monday, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the 10th edition of its monitoring report on the World of Work said that global employment growth will “deteriorate significantly” in the upcoming quarter of 2022.

On Monday, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in the 10th edition of its monitoring report on the World of Work said that global employment growth will “deteriorate significantly” in the upcoming quarter of 2022. The report has attributed this fall to the economic turmoil caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the tighter monetary policy on consumption. “On current trends, global employment growth will deteriorate significantly in the fourth quarter of 2022,” said the United Nations body, citing 40 million fewer full-time jobs between July-September this year when compared to the fourth quarter in 2019, the year prior to the pandemic being the benchmark level. While early 2022 witnessed a recovery in the global hours worked was reserved in the second and third quarters which the report says is due to the reintroduction of Covid-related restrictions which have caused a disruption in the Chinese labour market. Additionally, deterioration is also due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine which has consequently led to inflation and adversely affected energy and food exports. ALSO READ: It's 21st century and yet 50 million people across the world are still bound in 'modern slavery': UN The ILO has also raised an alarm about the declining job vacancies and rise in unemployment in the upcoming months noting the sharp declines in vacancy growth as well as signs of the labour market cooling considerably in advanced economies. This also comes amid several major companies across the world announcing job cuts affecting thousands of people across the world. According to the report, “the outlook for the labour market is currently highly uncertain, with growing downside risks, including the impacts of high inflation, tightening monetary policy, increasing debt burdens and declining consumer confidence.” “We cannot insist enough on the need for social packages and the need to ensure that the monetary tightening to combat the inflation is really dovetailed with social measures,” said the ILO director-general Gilbert Houngbo during a press conference. ALSO WATCH: Gravitas: UN report accuses Switzerland of racial discrimination Similarly, the report shows how excessive policy tightening could adversely affect “jobs and incomes in both advanced and developing countries”. Houngbo has also called for a series of policies aimed at supporting those most affected, which reportedly includes redirecting some of the windfall corporate profits towards jobs or income support. “Tackling this deeply worrying global employment situation, and preventing a significant labour market downturn, will require comprehensive, integrated and balanced policies both nationally and globally,” said the new director-general in a statement. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

ILO: Global employment growth will ‘deteriorate significantly’ in Q4 of 2022

A 27-year-old Chinese man has been unable to get a job for many years. He has been facing rejections, not because of his educational qualification or his behaviour, but rather the companies are passing over him because he looks like a 12-years-old.

Mao Sheng, from Guangdong Province, has been desperately seeking stable employment so that he can look after his family, but he's not had any luck so far. Primarily because of his youthful looks.

The companies have been rejecting him because they suspect him to be a government agent, who is being used to snare companies abusing child labour rules.

In one instance, Mao explained, when he went with a friend to apply for a job at a factory, the manager only hired his friend while he was rejected, reports UK-based Mirror newspaper.

Now, he has started his own TikTok channel where he makes videos of himself venting out his frustration at not being able to support his father financially. Mao is the only breadwinner for his dad.

In another clip, he showed his ID to prove that was born in 1995.

But as the luck would have it, Mao has become a local celebrity after his rant video went viral. Many netizens criticised the prospective employers for not offering the 27-year-old a chance to prove himself.

The immense popularity has also caught the attention of potential employers who are reaching out to Mao.

A follow-up video has revealed that Mao accepted one of the jobs, according to Oddity Central.

Meanwhile, in another bizarre incident, a woman in China was fired for turning up on time and leaving when her shift finished. The woman said that her boss expected her to work up to eight hours of overtime on certain shifts.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A 27-year-old Chinese man has been unable to get a job for many years. He has been facing rejections, not because of his educational qualification or his behaviour, but rather the companies are passing over him because he looks like a 12-years-old.

A 27-year-old Chinese man has been unable to get a job for many years. He has been facing rejections, not because of his educational qualification or his behaviour, but rather the companies are passing over him because he looks like a 12-years-old. Mao Sheng, from Guangdong Province, has been desperately seeking stable employment so that he can look after his family, but he's not had any luck so far. Primarily because of his youthful looks. The companies have been rejecting him because they suspect him to be a government agent, who is being used to snare companies abusing child labour rules. In one instance, Mao explained, when he went with a friend to apply for a job at a factory, the manager only hired his friend while he was rejected, reports UK-based Mirror newspaper. Now, he has started his own TikTok channel where he makes videos of himself venting out his frustration at not being able to support his father financially. Mao is the only breadwinner for his dad. In another clip, he showed his ID to prove that was born in 1995. But as the luck would have it, Mao has become a local celebrity after his rant video went viral. Many netizens criticised the prospective employers for not offering the 27-year-old a chance to prove himself. The immense popularity has also caught the attention of potential employers who are reaching out to Mao. A follow-up video has revealed that Mao accepted one of the jobs, according to Oddity Central. Meanwhile, in another bizarre incident, a woman in China was fired for turning up on time and leaving when her shift finished. The woman said that her boss expected her to work up to eight hours of overtime on certain shifts. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

This 27-year-old Chinese man is not getting jobs due to his ‘youthful’ looks

In pics: Record numbers of Chinese graduates enter worst job market in decades

A former employee of Better.com has filed a lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Vishal Garg, alleging that they made false claims to investors regarding the digital mortgage company's financial prospects and performance. Vishal Garg made headlines a year ago when he fired 900 employees over a Zoom call.

In her case, Sarah Pierce, a former executive vice-president of sales and operations at Better.com, claimed that Garg distorted the company's claims in order to persuade investors to proceed with an SPAC merger rather than withdraw owing to the company's financial situation.

Better.com's proposal to go public by merging with Aurora Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a $7.7 billion deal was agreed upon last year but has yet to close. During the pandemic, SPAC acquisitions were one of the hottest investment trends as early-stage companies sought to go public.

According to the lawsuit, Pierce claims that she was fired from her job in February as a result of raising concerns about the sale. She's looking for monetary recompense.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/i-embarrassed-you-bettercom-ceo-apologises-for-laying-off-900-via-zoom-call-435001">'I embarrassed you': Better.com CEO apologises for laying off 900 via zoom call</a>

Garg is accused of directing the faltering lender's bid to merge with a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, according to reports. Garg had accused some of the terminated staff of "stealing" from the company by being unproductive after his well publicised mass dismissal on a video conference call in December.

Pierce claims she pressed the company to issue a statement addressing Garg's "misinformation" about the fired employees and approached him personally, stating that she "would not assist his false narrative."

According to the lawsuit, Garg is also accused of misleading investors and directors by telling them that the company would return to profitability in the first quarter of 2022, despite "Pierce and other top management plainly saying that this conclusion was not conceivable." 
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A former employee of Better.com has filed a lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Vishal Garg, alleging that they made false claims to investors regarding the digital mortgage company's financial prospects and performance.

A former employee of Better.com has filed a lawsuit against the company and its CEO, Vishal Garg, alleging that they made false claims to investors regarding the digital mortgage company's financial prospects and performance. Vishal Garg made headlines a year ago when he fired 900 employees over a Zoom call. In her case, Sarah Pierce, a former executive vice-president of sales and operations at Better.com, claimed that Garg distorted the company's claims in order to persuade investors to proceed with an SPAC merger rather than withdraw owing to the company's financial situation. Better.com's proposal to go public by merging with Aurora Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in a $7.7 billion deal was agreed upon last year but has yet to close. During the pandemic, SPAC acquisitions were one of the hottest investment trends as early-stage companies sought to go public. According to the lawsuit, Pierce claims that she was fired from her job in February as a result of raising concerns about the sale. She's looking for monetary recompense. Also read | 'I embarrassed you': Better.com CEO apologises for laying off 900 via zoom call Garg is accused of directing the faltering lender's bid to merge with a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, according to reports. Garg had accused some of the terminated staff of "stealing" from the company by being unproductive after his well publicised mass dismissal on a video conference call in December. Pierce claims she pressed the company to issue a statement addressing Garg's "misinformation" about the fired employees and approached him personally, stating that she "would not assist his false narrative." According to the lawsuit, Garg is also accused of misleading investors and directors by telling them that the company would return to profitability in the first quarter of 2022, despite "Pierce and other top management plainly saying that this conclusion was not conceivable." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Better.com CEO fired 900 on Zoom call, now being sued for 'misleading investors'

Job gains maintained their impressive run in May, even as government policymakers took steps to cool the economy and ease inflation.

The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 390,000 jobs, the 17th straight monthly gain.

The unemployment rate was 3.6 per cent&nbsp;for the third straight month, near a half-century low. Average hourly earnings for employees rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 per cent&nbsp;on a monthly basis, and were 5.2 per cent&nbsp;higher than a year earlier.

Record levels of consumer spending, which makes up about 70 per cent of the economy, have driven business expansion and job creation, as companies try to keep up with demand for a wide variety of goods and services. The hiring push has lent some workers a degree of agency regarding pay and conditions that is unfamiliar to both job seekers and employers.

Yet the Federal Reserve is worried that rising labor costs will be passed along to consumers, constraining efforts to bring down inflation, which is near a 40-year high.

Last month, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that his institution’s attempts to cool off prices were a part of ensuring a more sustainable form of full employment. “We’ve got to get back to price stability so that we can have a labor market where people’s wages aren’t being eaten up by inflation,” he said. “And where we can have a long expansion, too.”

The environment for job seekers remains as strong as it has been since the 1960s, some economists say. The Kansas City Fed’s labour market conditions index — which is based on 24 measures tracking the market’s tightness — is near highs last seen in 2000.

In a speech, this week to the Economic Club of Memphis, Tennessee, James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, noted that “real-time indicators” of economic growth suggested expansion would continue for several quarters.

It appears that fewer Americans will be able to fully share in a continued expansion, however. There are growing signals that lower-income families, which have been hit the hardest by price increases and used up much of their pandemic-era savings, are beginning to pull back on discretionary purchases. The cost of groceries is an intensifying headache, and energy prices, which are roughly 30 per cent&nbsp;higher than a year ago, are forcing people to make difficult decisions about what goods and services to cut back on to prevent further erosion of their budgets.

Inflation has already made a striking impact: Personal savings as a percentage of personal disposable income fell to 4.4 per cent&nbsp;in April, the Commerce Department reported last week. It was the lowest rate since 2008, and far from the anomalous high of 33 per cent&nbsp;in April 2020 at the height of federal aid.

Throughout the year, inflation and general volatility in the economy have created a dissonance between sour consumer sentiment and relatively positive raw data. Checking accounts are still above 2019 levels for nearly all income groups. And the share of households under duress as a result of debt burdens is historically low. Auto loan delinquency rates are low. And new bankruptcies and debt-collection proceedings are at their lowest level since the New York Fed began collecting data on them in 1999.

The Fed’s aim is to engineer a modest economic slowdown that avoids a painful recession. Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, a consulting firm, insisted that “whether we have a recession or not isn’t what matters” compared with the characteristics of any potential downturn, such as its depth and duration.

“Recency bias has us thinking of a recession being like the covid&nbsp;crisis, or the global financial crisis, but these were ‘once in a hundred years’ events which are unlikely to repeat in the near term,” he said. “At the same time, the elevated inflation backdrop has brought comparisons with the 1970s, but there again the situation was different, lasting 15 years from the late 1960s to the early 1980s and featuring two moderate and two deep recessions.”

Job gains maintained their impressive run in May, even as government policymakers took steps to cool the economy and ease inflation. The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 390,000 jobs, the 17th straight monthly gain.

Job gains maintained their impressive run in May, even as government policymakers took steps to cool the economy and ease inflation. The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 390,000 jobs, the 17th straight monthly gain. The unemployment rate was 3.6 per cent for the third straight month, near a half-century low. Average hourly earnings for employees rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 per cent on a monthly basis, and were 5.2 per cent higher than a year earlier. Record levels of consumer spending, which makes up about 70 per cent of the economy, have driven business expansion and job creation, as companies try to keep up with demand for a wide variety of goods and services. The hiring push has lent some workers a degree of agency regarding pay and conditions that is unfamiliar to both job seekers and employers. Yet the Federal Reserve is worried that rising labor costs will be passed along to consumers, constraining efforts to bring down inflation, which is near a 40-year high. Last month, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that his institution’s attempts to cool off prices were a part of ensuring a more sustainable form of full employment. “We’ve got to get back to price stability so that we can have a labor market where people’s wages aren’t being eaten up by inflation,” he said. “And where we can have a long expansion, too.” The environment for job seekers remains as strong as it has been since the 1960s, some economists say. The Kansas City Fed’s labour market conditions index — which is based on 24 measures tracking the market’s tightness — is near highs last seen in 2000. In a speech, this week to the Economic Club of Memphis, Tennessee, James Bullard, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, noted that “real-time indicators” of economic growth suggested expansion would continue for several quarters. It appears that fewer Americans will be able to fully share in a continued expansion, however. There are growing signals that lower-income families, which have been hit the hardest by price increases and used up much of their pandemic-era savings, are beginning to pull back on discretionary purchases. The cost of groceries is an intensifying headache, and energy prices, which are roughly 30 per cent higher than a year ago, are forcing people to make difficult decisions about what goods and services to cut back on to prevent further erosion of their budgets. Inflation has already made a striking impact: Personal savings as a percentage of personal disposable income fell to 4.4 per cent in April, the Commerce Department reported last week. It was the lowest rate since 2008, and far from the anomalous high of 33 per cent in April 2020 at the height of federal aid. Throughout the year, inflation and general volatility in the economy have created a dissonance between sour consumer sentiment and relatively positive raw data. Checking accounts are still above 2019 levels for nearly all income groups. And the share of households under duress as a result of debt burdens is historically low. Auto loan delinquency rates are low. And new bankruptcies and debt-collection proceedings are at their lowest level since the New York Fed began collecting data on them in 1999. The Fed’s aim is to engineer a modest economic slowdown that avoids a painful recession. Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, a consulting firm, insisted that “whether we have a recession or not isn’t what matters” compared with the characteristics of any potential downturn, such as its depth and duration. “Recency bias has us thinking of a recession being like the covid crisis, or the global financial crisis, but these were ‘once in a hundred years’ events which are unlikely to repeat in the near term,” he said. “At the same time, the elevated inflation backdrop has brought comparisons with the 1970s, but there again the situation was different, lasting 15 years from the late 1960s to the early 1980s and featuring two moderate and two deep recessions.”

US added 390,000 jobs in May amid efforts to cool the economy

New&nbsp;York&nbsp;City&nbsp;was poised to sack roughly&nbsp;3,000&nbsp;municipal workers on Friday for failing to meet a deadline to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The expected dismissals come amid growing discontent in North America against coronavirus restrictions and as states unilaterally lift mask mandates.

New&nbsp;York&nbsp;requires all&nbsp;city&nbsp;employees, including police, firefighters and teachers, to receive at least one dose of a&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;under orders passed by former mayor Bill de Blasio last year.

"We're not firing them. People are quitting," his successor, Eric Adams, said on Thursday.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/future-of-covid-vaccines-scientists-develop-a-vaccine-that-can-be-inhaled-wont-need-needles-452473">&nbsp;Future of Covid vaccines: Scientists develop a vaccine that can be inhaled, won't need needles</a>

"The responsibility is clear. We said it: if you're hired, if you get this job, you have to be vaccinated. If you are not following the rules, you are making that decision," he added.

Like mandatory mask-wearing, mandatory vaccinations have been a controversial political issue in America, with Republican-led Texas going as far as banning them.

Hundreds of workers who oppose&nbsp;New&nbsp;York's&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;requirement were due to march on&nbsp;City&nbsp;Hall in Manhattan on Friday.&nbsp;

Approximately 95 percent of the&nbsp;city's municipal workforce has received at least one dose of a&nbsp;vaccine.

The&nbsp;3,000&nbsp;number represents less than one percent of the Big Apple's 370,000&nbsp;municipal workers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/efficacy-of-pfizer-and-moderna-vaccines-wane-after-third-dose-study-452589">Efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines wane after third dose: Study</a>

Several thousand others remain unvaccinated but have applied for either medical or religious exemptions to avoid losing their jobs.

Friday's deadline comes after&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;state let an indoor mask&nbsp;mandate&nbsp;expire on Thursday.

Several other states, including California,&nbsp;New&nbsp;Jersey and Massachusetts announced this week the lifting of mask mandates for either businesses or schools.

The moves come as the US government&nbsp;grows increasingly concerned about copycat trucker-led protests against coronavirus restrictions that have shut down the Canadian capital Ottawa and three US border crossings.

Watch | NYC's municipal workers face termination over covid-19 vaccine status

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nycs-municipal-workers-face-termination-over-covid-19-vaccine-status-452560/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

Supporters of the movement in the United States have called on a convoy of truckers to gather in California in early March for a two-day rally before possibly heading towards the capital Washington.

&nbsp;

New York City was poised to sack roughly 3,000 municipal workers on Friday for failing to meet a deadline to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The expected dismissals come amid growing discontent in North America against coronavirus restrictions and as states unilaterally lift mask mandates.

New York City was poised to sack roughly 3,000 municipal workers on Friday for failing to meet a deadline to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The expected dismissals come amid growing discontent in North America against coronavirus restrictions and as states unilaterally lift mask mandates. New York requires all city employees, including police, firefighters and teachers, to receive at least one dose of a vaccine under orders passed by former mayor Bill de Blasio last year. "We're not firing them. People are quitting," his successor, Eric Adams, said on Thursday. Also read | Future of Covid vaccines: Scientists develop a vaccine that can be inhaled, won't need needles "The responsibility is clear. We said it: if you're hired, if you get this job, you have to be vaccinated. If you are not following the rules, you are making that decision," he added. Like mandatory mask-wearing, mandatory vaccinations have been a controversial political issue in America, with Republican-led Texas going as far as banning them. Hundreds of workers who oppose New York's vaccine requirement were due to march on City Hall in Manhattan on Friday. Approximately 95 percent of the city's municipal workforce has received at least one dose of a vaccine. The 3,000 number represents less than one percent of the Big Apple's 370,000 municipal workers. Also read | Efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines wane after third dose: Study Several thousand others remain unvaccinated but have applied for either medical or religious exemptions to avoid losing their jobs. Friday's deadline comes after New York state let an indoor mask mandate expire on Thursday. Several other states, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts announced this week the lifting of mask mandates for either businesses or schools. The moves come as the US government grows increasingly concerned about copycat trucker-led protests against coronavirus restrictions that have shut down the Canadian capital Ottawa and three US border crossings. Watch | NYC's municipal workers face termination over covid-19 vaccine status Supporters of the movement in the United States have called on a convoy of truckers to gather in California in early March for a two-day rally before possibly heading towards the capital Washington.

New York City set to fire 3,000 staff for defying vaccine mandate

Germany's new coalition government wants to attract 400,000 qualified workers from abroad each year to tackle both a demographic imbalance and labour shortages in key sectors that risk undermining the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

"The shortage of skilled workers has become so serious by now that it is dramatically slowing down our economy," Christian Duerr, parliamentary leader of the co-governing Free Democrats (FDP), told business magazine WirtschaftsWoche.

"We can only get the problem of an ageing workforce under control with a modern immigration policy... We have to reach the mark of 400,000 skilled workers from abroad as quickly as possible," Duerr added.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Duerr's libertarian FDP and the environmentalist Greens agreed in their coalition deal on measures like a points system for specialists from countries outside the European Union and lifting the national minimum wage to 12 euros ($13.60) per hour to make working in Germany more attractive.

The employer-friendly German Economic Institute estimates that the labour force will shrink by more than 300,000 people this year as there are more older workers retiring than younger ones entering the labour market.

This gap is expected to widen to more than 650,000 in 2029, leaving an accumulated shortage of people of working age in 2030 of roughly 5 million. The number of Germans in employment grew to nearly 45 million last year despite the coronavirus pandemic.

After decades of low birth rates and uneven migration, a shrinking labour force also poses a demographic time bomb for Germany's public pension system, in which fewer employees are burdened with the task of financing the pensions of a growing mass of retirees who are enjoying longer life expectancy.

Germany's new coalition government wants to attract 400,000 qualified workers from abroad each year to tackle both a demographic imbalance and labour shortages in key sectors that risk undermining the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany's new coalition government wants to attract 400,000 qualified workers from abroad each year to tackle both a demographic imbalance and labour shortages in key sectors that risk undermining the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. "The shortage of skilled workers has become so serious by now that it is dramatically slowing down our economy," Christian Duerr, parliamentary leader of the co-governing Free Democrats (FDP), told business magazine WirtschaftsWoche. "We can only get the problem of an ageing workforce under control with a modern immigration policy... We have to reach the mark of 400,000 skilled workers from abroad as quickly as possible," Duerr added. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, Duerr's libertarian FDP and the environmentalist Greens agreed in their coalition deal on measures like a points system for specialists from countries outside the European Union and lifting the national minimum wage to 12 euros ($13.60) per hour to make working in Germany more attractive. The employer-friendly German Economic Institute estimates that the labour force will shrink by more than 300,000 people this year as there are more older workers retiring than younger ones entering the labour market. This gap is expected to widen to more than 650,000 in 2029, leaving an accumulated shortage of people of working age in 2030 of roughly 5 million. The number of Germans in employment grew to nearly 45 million last year despite the coronavirus pandemic. After decades of low birth rates and uneven migration, a shrinking labour force also poses a demographic time bomb for Germany's public pension system, in which fewer employees are burdened with the task of financing the pensions of a growing mass of retirees who are enjoying longer life expectancy.

Germany plans to attract 400,000 foreign workers per year

The CEO of a digital mortgage firm recently became highly infamous due to his one Zoom call in which he fired 900 employees. Now, that leader is “taking time off”.<o:p></o:p>

Vishal Garg quickly became infamous on the internet due to his one video in which he got nearly 900 of his employees on a Zoom video call and fired all of them while accusing them of ‘stealing from the company'.<o:p></o:p>

"I come to you with not great news. The market has changed and we have to move with it in order to survive, so that hopefully, we can thrive and hopefully, deliver on our mission, " he said as he began the grim announcement. "If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off."

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/i-embarrassed-you-bettercom-ceo-apologises-for-laying-off-900-via-zoom-call-435001">'I embarrassed you': Better.com CEO apologises for laying off 900 via zoom call</a></o:p>

However, now it is being reported that Garg is "taking time off effective immediately" while the company’s top layer takes time to reanalyse the leadership and culture. The company’s board of directors, too, have sent a letter to employees assuring that the company will take all needed and possible measures to bring the company out of any possible danger. <o:p></o:p>

An outside firm will also be brought in to "do a leadership and cultural assessment." The leadership has assured that the assessment of this third party will be "taken into account to build a long-term sustainable and positive culture at Better".8<o:p></o:p>

While Garg takes some time off "given the very regrettable events over the last week", CFO Kevin Ryan will step into the shoes of the CEO on an interim basis.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ceo-fires-900-people-on-zoom-call-434726">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ceo-fires-900-people-on-zoom-call-434726/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, the board of directors have requested the remaining employees to "refocus on our customers and support each other to continue to build a great company and a company we can be proud of".<o:p></o:p>

This announcement comes a few days after Garg sent a letter of apology to the remaining employees of Better.com. "I failed to show the appropriate amount of respect and appreciation for the individuals who were affected and for their contributions to Better. I own the decision to do the layoffs, but in communicating it I blundered the execution. In doing so, I embarrassed you," he wrote.<o:p></o:p>

The CEO of a digital mortgage firm recently became highly infamous due to his one Zoom call in which he fired 900 employees. Now, that leader is “taking time off”.

The CEO of a digital mortgage firm recently became highly infamous due to his one Zoom call in which he fired 900 employees. Now, that leader is “taking time off”. Vishal Garg quickly became infamous on the internet due to his one video in which he got nearly 900 of his employees on a Zoom video call and fired all of them while accusing them of ‘stealing from the company'. "I come to you with not great news. The market has changed and we have to move with it in order to survive, so that hopefully, we can thrive and hopefully, deliver on our mission, " he said as he began the grim announcement. "If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off." Also read | 'I embarrassed you': Better.com CEO apologises for laying off 900 via zoom call However, now it is being reported that Garg is "taking time off effective immediately" while the company’s top layer takes time to reanalyse the leadership and culture. The company’s board of directors, too, have sent a letter to employees assuring that the company will take all needed and possible measures to bring the company out of any possible danger. An outside firm will also be brought in to "do a leadership and cultural assessment." The leadership has assured that the assessment of this third party will be "taken into account to build a long-term sustainable and positive culture at Better".8 While Garg takes some time off "given the very regrettable events over the last week", CFO Kevin Ryan will step into the shoes of the CEO on an interim basis. WATCH | Meanwhile, the board of directors have requested the remaining employees to "refocus on our customers and support each other to continue to build a great company and a company we can be proud of". This announcement comes a few days after Garg sent a letter of apology to the remaining employees of Better.com. "I failed to show the appropriate amount of respect and appreciation for the individuals who were affected and for their contributions to Better. I own the decision to do the layoffs, but in communicating it I blundered the execution. In doing so, I embarrassed you," he wrote.

After firing 900 employees, CEO of Better.com takes 'time off'

After coming under fire for insulting 900 people he had just laid off, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg sent an email to the company's remaining employees on Tuesday afternoon.&nbsp;

The CEO of a digital mortgage lender based in the United States has apologised to existing staff for how he handled the situation.&nbsp;

"I failed to show the appropriate amount of respect and appreciation for the individuals who were affected and for their contributions to Better. I own the decision to do the layoffs, but in communicating it I blundered the execution. In doing so, I embarrassed you," Garg said in the letter to current employees.

An employee shared a video of Garg's Zoom conversation on December 1st, during which he fired around 900 SoftBank-backed staff.

The dismissals were attributed to market conditions and a drop in the company's performance, according to the CEO.

Since the firings, the entrepreneur, who is also the founder of Better.com, has been in the middle of a storm, particularly owing to the manner in which they were announced. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-ceo-abruptly-terminates-over-900-employees-in-us-and-india-over-zoom-call-434583">Watch | CEO abruptly terminates over 900 employees in US and India over Zoom call</a> 
 
The dismissed employees made up 9% of the company's entire staff and were dispersed across the US and India.&nbsp;

According to Bloomberg, the mortgage lender also pushed back its public offering through a merger with Aurora Acquisition, a blank-check provider, after modifying the transaction a day before it laid off some of its employees.

According to Bloomberg, the corporation will seek additional regulatory permission after amending the merger conditions.

This will delay the transaction's completion, which the firms had previously stated would take place in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ceo-fires-900-people-on-zoom-call-434726/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

(With inputs from agencies)

After coming under fire for insulting 900 people he had just laid off, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg sent an email to the company's remaining employees on Tuesday afternoon.

After coming under fire for insulting 900 people he had just laid off, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg sent an email to the company's remaining employees on Tuesday afternoon. The CEO of a digital mortgage lender based in the United States has apologised to existing staff for how he handled the situation. "I failed to show the appropriate amount of respect and appreciation for the individuals who were affected and for their contributions to Better. I own the decision to do the layoffs, but in communicating it I blundered the execution. In doing so, I embarrassed you," Garg said in the letter to current employees. An employee shared a video of Garg's Zoom conversation on December 1st, during which he fired around 900 SoftBank-backed staff. The dismissals were attributed to market conditions and a drop in the company's performance, according to the CEO. Since the firings, the entrepreneur, who is also the founder of Better.com, has been in the middle of a storm, particularly owing to the manner in which they were announced. Watch | CEO abruptly terminates over 900 employees in US and India over Zoom call The dismissed employees made up 9% of the company's entire staff and were dispersed across the US and India. According to Bloomberg, the mortgage lender also pushed back its public offering through a merger with Aurora Acquisition, a blank-check provider, after modifying the transaction a day before it laid off some of its employees. According to Bloomberg, the corporation will seek additional regulatory permission after amending the merger conditions. This will delay the transaction's completion, which the firms had previously stated would take place in the fourth quarter. (With inputs from agencies)

'I embarrassed you': Better.com CEO apologises for laying off 900 via zoom call

More than 900 employees in the US and India of a mortgage lender company were fired abruptly by the CEO during a three-minute Zoom call.

According to CNN, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg made the announcement on Wednesday saying that about 9 per cent of its workforce have been laid off.

“I come to you with not great news. The market has changed and we have to move with it in order to survive, so that hopefully, we can thrive and hopefully, deliver on our mission,” he said as he began the grim announcement.

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He blamed market efficiency, performance and productivity as the reason behind the firings,

“If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off," Garg,&nbsp;who founded Better.com in 2016, said on the call.

“Your employment here is terminated effective immediately,” he said, adding that employees could expect an email from HR detailing benefits and severance.

Around 15 per cent of employees of the New York-headquartered company have lost their jobs as part of the cost-cutting exercise.

Garg said that this is the second round of lay-offs Garg has undertaken.

A video of the Zoom call has been widely shared on the internet.

“Having to conduct layoffs is gut-wrenching, especially this time of year," CFO Kevin Ryan said in a statement to CNN Business.

“However, a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offence going into a radically evolving homeownership market.”

(With inputs from agencies)

More than 900 employees in the US and India of a mortgage lender company were fired abruptly by the CEO during a three-minute Zoom call. According to CNN, Better.

More than 900 employees in the US and India of a mortgage lender company were fired abruptly by the CEO during a three-minute Zoom call. According to CNN, Better.com CEO Vishal Garg made the announcement on Wednesday saying that about 9 per cent of its workforce have been laid off. “I come to you with not great news. The market has changed and we have to move with it in order to survive, so that hopefully, we can thrive and hopefully, deliver on our mission,” he said as he began the grim announcement. × He blamed market efficiency, performance and productivity as the reason behind the firings, “If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off," Garg, who founded Better.com in 2016, said on the call. “Your employment here is terminated effective immediately,” he said, adding that employees could expect an email from HR detailing benefits and severance. Around 15 per cent of employees of the New York-headquartered company have lost their jobs as part of the cost-cutting exercise. Garg said that this is the second round of lay-offs Garg has undertaken. A video of the Zoom call has been widely shared on the internet. “Having to conduct layoffs is gut-wrenching, especially this time of year," CFO Kevin Ryan said in a statement to CNN Business. “However, a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offence going into a radically evolving homeownership market.” (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | CEO abruptly terminates over 900 employees in US and India over Zoom call

The Jammu and Kashmir government has established&nbsp;a special initiative for the first time for the youth of the union territory. The initiative called ''Mission Youth'' will benefit more than 50,000 youngsters&nbsp;in different streams.&nbsp;

The motive behind this is to engage the youngsters of the union territory&nbsp;from developing their skills to training them for starting their own ventures. This initiative will also work in sports activities where more than 20,000 youth will&nbsp;be engaged&nbsp;and trained in various sports to become professionals.&nbsp;

''Under mission youth we are working under five-six major parameters, one is skill development. We have rolled out 98 courses for the youth. They are linked with employment. Second&nbsp;is sports, we want youth to take sports as a profession. We are engaging 20,000 youth in sports and different activities. We are holding counselling&nbsp;centres for youth. Scholarships for women have been rolled out — super 75 scholarship&nbsp;under the guidance of LG Manoj Sinha where we provide INR 100,000 to each girl student to pursue&nbsp;further studies. We are also going to coach students for different competitive exams,'' said Shahid Chaudhary, Director, Mission Youth.

In the Mission Youth, special schemes and scholarships have been rolled out specially for women. Female students wanting to pursue post-graduate courses will be helped with around INR 100,000 worth of scholarships and&nbsp;many skill development courses have also been introduced for women.&nbsp;

''The performance of women&nbsp;has been low and when we launched these schemes the first few ones were only for women. We want at least&nbsp;50 per cent of women participation. We are engaging 20,000 in sports only, self-employment for 50,000 youth in collaboration with JK bank,'' Chaudhary explained.

Young people of the valley have appreciated this move by the government. They say it will help many unemployed youngsters to find a path for deciding their careers and also take them away from social evils such as drug addiction.&nbsp;

"First of all, I would like to appreciate this move by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. It was very much required. Mission youth has funding of around 600 crores, and I recently saw 75 students will get scholarships for the courses, youth engagement schemes are there in it. We have nothing to do otherwise and this initiative will give a boost to the youth in sectors like entrepreneurship etc. They should take more such initiatives for the young, otherwise, we have seen young people going towards drugs and other social evils," said Mir Khubaib, a youngster in the valley.&nbsp;

Some youngsters even say that it's the first time the government has thought about young people. However, they appreciated the efforts made by the LG Manoj Sinha.&nbsp;

"It's the first time in seven decades that something has happened so it's really fabulous that they are delivering on ground. If we see in departments it used to be extremely difficult to get a loan but with these schemes it would be helpful. Youth can get engaged in recreational initiatives. Mission Youth is a great initiative and the officer leading is also good. In Srinagar downtown area, 99 per cent are not government employees and they used to face a lot of issues in getting loans. Youth were demanding something should be done and this is something great LG Manoj Sinha has done for the people of Kashmir. The main reason behind drug addiction is unemployment and with these initiatives, we can involve these youth in something constructive,"&nbsp;said Aqib Renzu, a youth activist.&nbsp;

Youngsters from downtown, however, say that they have been neglected always but hope this scheme will benefit them too.&nbsp;

''This is a great initiative, mission youth for the young. I am from the downtown area of Srinagar and we have been neglected for a very long time and now for the first time we are seeing some hope. I appreciate this. Inshallah it will be a great platform,'' said Tabish Abbas Pathan, a local youngster.&nbsp;

The scheme, if implemented, properly across the union territory can really bring a major change across the Valley.&nbsp;

The Jammu and Kashmir government has established a special initiative for the first time for the youth of the union territory. The initiative called ''Mission Youth'' will benefit more than 50,000 youngsters in different streams.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has established a special initiative for the first time for the youth of the union territory. The initiative called ''Mission Youth'' will benefit more than 50,000 youngsters in different streams. The motive behind this is to engage the youngsters of the union territory from developing their skills to training them for starting their own ventures. This initiative will also work in sports activities where more than 20,000 youth will be engaged and trained in various sports to become professionals. ''Under mission youth we are working under five-six major parameters, one is skill development. We have rolled out 98 courses for the youth. They are linked with employment. Second is sports, we want youth to take sports as a profession. We are engaging 20,000 youth in sports and different activities. We are holding counselling centres for youth. Scholarships for women have been rolled out — super 75 scholarship under the guidance of LG Manoj Sinha where we provide INR 100,000 to each girl student to pursue further studies. We are also going to coach students for different competitive exams,'' said Shahid Chaudhary, Director, Mission Youth. In the Mission Youth, special schemes and scholarships have been rolled out specially for women. Female students wanting to pursue post-graduate courses will be helped with around INR 100,000 worth of scholarships and many skill development courses have also been introduced for women. ''The performance of women has been low and when we launched these schemes the first few ones were only for women. We want at least 50 per cent of women participation. We are engaging 20,000 in sports only, self-employment for 50,000 youth in collaboration with JK bank,'' Chaudhary explained. Young people of the valley have appreciated this move by the government. They say it will help many unemployed youngsters to find a path for deciding their careers and also take them away from social evils such as drug addiction. "First of all, I would like to appreciate this move by the government of Jammu and Kashmir. It was very much required. Mission youth has funding of around 600 crores, and I recently saw 75 students will get scholarships for the courses, youth engagement schemes are there in it. We have nothing to do otherwise and this initiative will give a boost to the youth in sectors like entrepreneurship etc. They should take more such initiatives for the young, otherwise, we have seen young people going towards drugs and other social evils," said Mir Khubaib, a youngster in the valley. Some youngsters even say that it's the first time the government has thought about young people. However, they appreciated the efforts made by the LG Manoj Sinha. "It's the first time in seven decades that something has happened so it's really fabulous that they are delivering on ground. If we see in departments it used to be extremely difficult to get a loan but with these schemes it would be helpful. Youth can get engaged in recreational initiatives. Mission Youth is a great initiative and the officer leading is also good. In Srinagar downtown area, 99 per cent are not government employees and they used to face a lot of issues in getting loans. Youth were demanding something should be done and this is something great LG Manoj Sinha has done for the people of Kashmir. The main reason behind drug addiction is unemployment and with these initiatives, we can involve these youth in something constructive," said Aqib Renzu, a youth activist. Youngsters from downtown, however, say that they have been neglected always but hope this scheme will benefit them too. ''This is a great initiative, mission youth for the young. I am from the downtown area of Srinagar and we have been neglected for a very long time and now for the first time we are seeing some hope. I appreciate this. Inshallah it will be a great platform,'' said Tabish Abbas Pathan, a local youngster. The scheme, if implemented, properly across the union territory can really bring a major change across the Valley.

Mission Youth: 50,000 youth to be engaged in JK for employment opportunities

A 50-year-old newspaper vendor in Yangon said on Wednesday (February 3) he worries for his livelihood in the wake of a military coup that overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi earlier this week.

Yangon newspaper vendor fears low sales with people avoiding news of military leaders

The National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday stressing that through the Common Eligibility Test it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/welcome-supreme-courts-decision-to-order-cbi-probe-in-sushants-case-says-bihar-deputy-cm-321630" hreflang="en">Welcome Supreme Court's decision to order CBI probe in Sushant's case, says Bihar Deputy CM</a>

"The #NationalRecruitmentAgency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters. Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency," the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalRecruitmentAgency?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NationalRecruitmentAgency</a> will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters. Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency. <a href="https://t.co/FbCLAUrYmX">https://t.co/FbCLAUrYmX</a>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1296044829550370816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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A government release said the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for creation of National Recruitment Agency (NRA), paving the way for a "transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs."

"A multi-agency body called the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts. NRA will have representatives of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB &amp; IBPS. It is envisioned that the NRA would be a specialist body bringing the state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment," the release said.

It highlighted that NRA shall conduct a separate CET each for the three levels of graduate, higher secondary (12th pass) and the matriculate (10th pass) candidates for those non-technical posts to which recruitment is presently carried out by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

"Based on the screening done at the CET score level, final selection for recruitment shall be made through separate specialised Tiers (II, III etc) of examination which shall be conducted by the respective recruitment agencies. The curriculum for this test would be common as would be the standard. This would greatly ease the burden of candidates who are at present required to prepare for each of the examinations separately as per different curriculum," the release stated.

According to the release, candidates would have the facility of registering on a common portal and give a choice of Centres. "Based on availability, they would be allotted Centres. The ultimate aim is to reach a stage wherein candidates can schedule their own tests at Centres of their choice."

The CET would be available in a number of languages, it said while adding that this would greatly facilitate people from different parts of the country to take the exam and have an equal opportunity of being selected.

The release emphasised that a single eligibility test would significantly reduce the recruitment cycle. "Some departments have indicated their intention to do away with any second level test and go ahead with recruitment on the basis of CET scores, Physical Tests and Medical examination. This would greatly reduce the cycle and benefit a large section of youth."

"The government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1517.57 crore for the National Recruitment Agency. The expenditure will be undertaken over a period of three years. Apart from setting up the NRA, costs will be incurred for setting up examination infrastructure in the 117 Aspirational Districts," it said.

The National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday stressing that through the Common Eligibility Test it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources.

The National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday stressing that through the Common Eligibility Test it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. Also read: Welcome Supreme Court's decision to order CBI probe in Sushant's case, says Bihar Deputy CM "The #NationalRecruitmentAgency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters. Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency," the Prime Minister said in a tweet. The #NationalRecruitmentAgency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters. Through the Common Eligibility Test, it will eliminate multiple tests and save precious time as well as resources. This will also be a big boost to transparency. https://t.co/FbCLAUrYmX — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2020 × A government release said the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval for creation of National Recruitment Agency (NRA), paving the way for a "transformational reform in the recruitment process for central government jobs." "A multi-agency body called the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) to screen/shortlist candidates for the Group B and C (non-technical) posts. NRA will have representatives of Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Finance/Department of Financial Services, the SSC, RRB & IBPS. It is envisioned that the NRA would be a specialist body bringing the state-of-the-art technology and best practices to the field of Central Government recruitment," the release said. It highlighted that NRA shall conduct a separate CET each for the three levels of graduate, higher secondary (12th pass) and the matriculate (10th pass) candidates for those non-technical posts to which recruitment is presently carried out by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). "Based on the screening done at the CET score level, final selection for recruitment shall be made through separate specialised Tiers (II, III etc) of examination which shall be conducted by the respective recruitment agencies. The curriculum for this test would be common as would be the standard. This would greatly ease the burden of candidates who are at present required to prepare for each of the examinations separately as per different curriculum," the release stated. According to the release, candidates would have the facility of registering on a common portal and give a choice of Centres. "Based on availability, they would be allotted Centres. The ultimate aim is to reach a stage wherein candidates can schedule their own tests at Centres of their choice." The CET would be available in a number of languages, it said while adding that this would greatly facilitate people from different parts of the country to take the exam and have an equal opportunity of being selected. The release emphasised that a single eligibility test would significantly reduce the recruitment cycle. "Some departments have indicated their intention to do away with any second level test and go ahead with recruitment on the basis of CET scores, Physical Tests and Medical examination. This would greatly reduce the cycle and benefit a large section of youth." "The government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 1517.57 crore for the National Recruitment Agency. The expenditure will be undertaken over a period of three years. Apart from setting up the NRA, costs will be incurred for setting up examination infrastructure in the 117 Aspirational Districts," it said.

National Recruitment Agency will prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters, says PM Narendra Modi

Industries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of life in June, hiring 2.4 million workers, payroll services firm ADP said Wednesday. 
 
The three million hires in May means that more than five million people&nbsp;are back at work of the 20 million who lost their jobs in March and April. 
 
However, the hiring gain was more than a million short of what economists had expected. 
 
A significant portion of the jobs were accounted for by small businesses of less than 50 workers, which added 937,000 jobs in the month, the data showed, while 961,000 were in leisure and hospitality -- a sector almost entirely shut down by the efforts to contain COVID-19. 
 
Construction added 494,000 workers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/coronavirus-rekindles-global-trade-disputes-309310" hreflang="en">Coronavirus rekindles global trade disputes</a> 
 
Many businesses have been able to rehire workers with the help of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other aid provided under the massive CARES Act that provides trillions of dollars in support. 
 
Shops and restaurants have reopened as many states have eased restrictions, but US cases have been surging in recent days, prompting states like Texas and Florida to roll back their reopening efforts. 
 
"As the economy slowly continues to recover, we are seeing a significant rebound in industries that once experienced the greatest job losses," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/chinese-companies-take-record-50-of-global-equity-raising-in-first-half-of-2020-309258" hreflang="en">Chinese companies take record 50% of global equity raising in first half of 2020</a> 
 
"In fact, 70 percent of the jobs added this month were in the leisure and hospitality, trade and construction industries." 
 
The ADP data are closely watched as a preview of the government employment report for June, due out Thursday. The consensus forecast is for a gain of 3.5 million jobs and a slight drop in the unemployment rate from the current 13.3 percent. 
 
Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics cautioned that even with the job gains, "The unemployment rate will likely remain high, signaling that conditions in the labor market remain weak with a renewed threat to activity and jobs from a resurgence in virus infections."

Industries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of life in June, hiring 2.4 million workers, payroll services firm ADP said Wednesday. The three million hires in May means that more than five million people are back at work of the 20 million who lost their jobs in March and April.

Industries hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic showed signs of life in June, hiring 2.4 million workers, payroll services firm ADP said Wednesday. The three million hires in May means that more than five million people are back at work of the 20 million who lost their jobs in March and April. However, the hiring gain was more than a million short of what economists had expected. A significant portion of the jobs were accounted for by small businesses of less than 50 workers, which added 937,000 jobs in the month, the data showed, while 961,000 were in leisure and hospitality -- a sector almost entirely shut down by the efforts to contain COVID-19. Construction added 494,000 workers. Also read: Coronavirus rekindles global trade disputes Many businesses have been able to rehire workers with the help of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other aid provided under the massive CARES Act that provides trillions of dollars in support. Shops and restaurants have reopened as many states have eased restrictions, but US cases have been surging in recent days, prompting states like Texas and Florida to roll back their reopening efforts. "As the economy slowly continues to recover, we are seeing a significant rebound in industries that once experienced the greatest job losses," said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. Also read: Chinese companies take record 50% of global equity raising in first half of 2020 "In fact, 70 percent of the jobs added this month were in the leisure and hospitality, trade and construction industries." The ADP data are closely watched as a preview of the government employment report for June, due out Thursday. The consensus forecast is for a gain of 3.5 million jobs and a slight drop in the unemployment rate from the current 13.3 percent. Rubeela Farooqi of High Frequency Economics cautioned that even with the job gains, "The unemployment rate will likely remain high, signaling that conditions in the labor market remain weak with a renewed threat to activity and jobs from a resurgence in virus infections."

US private hiring rebounds, adding 2.4 mn jobs in June

India’s unemployment rate rises to 7.78 per cent&nbsp;in February, the highest in 4 months. Data released by the centre for monitoring Indian economy or Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) reveals India's economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than six years in the last three months of 2019.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kongs-unemployment-rate-rises-to-34-per-cent-highest-in-three-years-281388">Hong Kong's unemployment rate rises to 3.4 per cent, highest in three years</a>

Analysts predict further deceleration as the coronavirus outbreak stifles growth globally.India has been plagued by a dismal job market for quite some time now.

And according to a Mumbai-based think-tank. Unemployment in India is now at a 4-month high.In January, the unemployment rate stood at 7.16 per cent. But this figure shot up to 7.78 per cent by the end of February.

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A closer look at these numbers reveals a worrying trend. There has been a massive spike in the unemployment rate in rural India.

From close to 6 per cent in January. Unemployment increased to 7.4 per cent in rural areas. The exact opposite happened in urban India. Where it fell from 9.7 to 8.7 per cent.

This paints a worrying picture about the deepening urban-rural divide in India. The report also highlights the sluggish pace at which the Indian economy is growing.

In the last 3 months of 2019, India's growth rate was at a 6-year low. And with the coronavirus outbreak now cropping up in India. Chances are the economic slowdown will continue.

India’s unemployment rate rises to 7.78 per cent in February, the highest in 4 months. Data released by the centre for monitoring Indian economy or Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) reveals India's economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than six years in the last three months of 2019.

India’s unemployment rate rises to 7.78 per cent in February, the highest in 4 months. Data released by the centre for monitoring Indian economy or Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) reveals India's economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than six years in the last three months of 2019. Also read: Hong Kong's unemployment rate rises to 3.4 per cent, highest in three years Analysts predict further deceleration as the coronavirus outbreak stifles growth globally.India has been plagued by a dismal job market for quite some time now. And according to a Mumbai-based think-tank. Unemployment in India is now at a 4-month high.In January, the unemployment rate stood at 7.16 per cent. But this figure shot up to 7.78 per cent by the end of February. × A closer look at these numbers reveals a worrying trend. There has been a massive spike in the unemployment rate in rural India. From close to 6 per cent in January. Unemployment increased to 7.4 per cent in rural areas. The exact opposite happened in urban India. Where it fell from 9.7 to 8.7 per cent. This paints a worrying picture about the deepening urban-rural divide in India. The report also highlights the sluggish pace at which the Indian economy is growing. In the last 3 months of 2019, India's growth rate was at a 6-year low. And with the coronavirus outbreak now cropping up in India. Chances are the economic slowdown will continue.

Bad time to be a job seeker in India, unemployment rate highest in 4 months

As part of the British government's post-Brexit reformation, low-skilled workers in the country will no longer be able to obtain visas.

The most interesting tenet, perhaps, of this provision is the curator. The idea was envisioned&nbsp;by Priti Patel, an Indian-origin British politician. She is a second-generation immigrant. Born in London, her parents emigrated to the UK from Tarapur in Gujarat.&nbsp;

The constitutional element of the new provision requests&nbsp;British employers to limit their dependence on cheap labour coming from Europe.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdoms-new-government-increases-minimum-wage-to-ps872-271242" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdoms-new-government-increases-minimum-wage-to-ps872-271242&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwicobjvl93nAhWqzDgGHaDQDtUQFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0sd6ERTqDMYP6a6tLWGao6" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdoms-new-government-increases-minimum-wage-to-ps872-271242" target="_blank">United Kingdom's new government increases minimum wage&nbsp;to £8.72</a>

The&nbsp;key objectives of the&nbsp;move includes the retention of existing staff and to evolve and sustain automation technology that eliminates the need for physical dependence.&nbsp;

According to the Home Office of the UK, European Union and non-European Union citizens coming to the UK after December 31 would be treated in the same fashion. This basically implies that all EU privileges in terms of travel and citizenship will be effectively revoked.

The UK's Labour Party hit out at the move and claimed that it would lead to a ''hostile environment'' in the country, in terms of attracting labour.

However, the Indian-origin Home Secretary Priti Patel claims that skilled and talented people will be able to come to the UK nevertheless.

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"The brightest and the best will be able to come to the United Kingdom", Patel said.

Patel has been a staunch critic of Theresa May and is the first Home Secretary of Indian origin in the British cabinet.&nbsp;

"It is important that the Cabinet should represent modern Britain as well as a modern Conservative Party", she had announced during the elections.

Priti Patel had also additionally steered the ''Vote Leave'' campaign which triggered a series of uncertain events for British polity until the recent elections. She became a member of the Conservative Party when she 15.

There are currently two other Indian-origin ministers in the UK cabinet: Rishi Sunak: Finance Minister, and Alok Sharma: &nbsp;Business Secretary.

This constitutes a part of the UK's bigger plan to reduce migration into the UK. To systematically tackle this, the government has curated a ''points-based'' immigration system, living up to the promise which was made in their election manifesto.

Here on, not only would potential immigrants and/or citizens need to speak impeccable English, but would need an ''approved sponsor'', someone who's already a British citizen and intends to hire the person intending to visit.&nbsp;On fulfilling this criterion, the person would be awarded 50 points.

However, it gets tricky for a potential worker would need at least 70 points to legally work in the country.

There are numerous number of points, ranging from educational qualifications to the salary on offer, and the nature of the profession.

If someone possesses a skill which is facing labour shortages in the country, they would be fast-tracked into migration.

According to the government's statements, businesses need to ''adapt and adjust''. In essence, the UK will no longer entertain the entry of "unskilled foreign labour"&nbsp;into their country, especially from Europe.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/five-facts-about-priti-patel-uks-first-indian-origin-home-secretary-238292" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/five-facts-about-priti-patel-uks-first-indian-origin-home-secretary-238292&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjGwsujl93nAhUnzTgGHWCBB3IQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1GDr23WfWIzYUbaZeidnp2" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/five-facts-about-priti-patel-uks-first-indian-origin-home-secretary-238292&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjGwsujl93nAhUnzTgGHWCBB3IQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1GDr23WfWIzYUbaZeidnp2" target="_blank">Five facts about Priti Patel,&nbsp;UK's first Indian-origin home secretary</a>

"It is important employers move away from a reliance on the UK's immigration system as an alternative to investment in staff retention, productivity and wider investment in technology and automation," the government statement said.

Instead of inducting more people in the British workforce, the government suggests employing the skills of 3.2 million European Union citizens who have applied for an extension on their stay.

To soften the blow, the government has also introduced sub-provisions, such as ''youth mobility arrangements'', that opens a window of 20,000 entries in the UK every year, but only for young people.

This clampdown on immigrants is no longer new, as countries have spent years imitating the divisive rhetoric of Trump that is based on border protectionism with traces of nationalist fervour.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-brexit-new-fast-track-global-talent-visa-unveiled-by-united-kingdom-276861">After Brexit, new fast track 'global talent visa' unveiled by United Kingdom</a>

Patel has been staunchly criticised for her rhetoric during the Brexit uncertainty period, whereby she defended the alcohol and tobacco industries, and also threatened Ireland with food shortages.

As part of the British government's post-Brexit reformation, low-skilled workers in the country will no longer be able to obtain visas. The most interesting tenet, perhaps, of this provision is the curator.

As part of the British government's post-Brexit reformation, low-skilled workers in the country will no longer be able to obtain visas. The most interesting tenet, perhaps, of this provision is the curator. The idea was envisioned by Priti Patel, an Indian-origin British politician. She is a second-generation immigrant. Born in London, her parents emigrated to the UK from Tarapur in Gujarat. The constitutional element of the new provision requests British employers to limit their dependence on cheap labour coming from Europe. Also read: United Kingdom's new government increases minimum wage to £8.72 The key objectives of the move includes the retention of existing staff and to evolve and sustain automation technology that eliminates the need for physical dependence. According to the Home Office of the UK, European Union and non-European Union citizens coming to the UK after December 31 would be treated in the same fashion. This basically implies that all EU privileges in terms of travel and citizenship will be effectively revoked. The UK's Labour Party hit out at the move and claimed that it would lead to a ''hostile environment'' in the country, in terms of attracting labour. However, the Indian-origin Home Secretary Priti Patel claims that skilled and talented people will be able to come to the UK nevertheless. "The brightest and the best will be able to come to the United Kingdom", Patel said. Patel has been a staunch critic of Theresa May and is the first Home Secretary of Indian origin in the British cabinet. "It is important that the Cabinet should represent modern Britain as well as a modern Conservative Party", she had announced during the elections. Priti Patel had also additionally steered the ''Vote Leave'' campaign which triggered a series of uncertain events for British polity until the recent elections. She became a member of the Conservative Party when she 15. There are currently two other Indian-origin ministers in the UK cabinet: Rishi Sunak: Finance Minister, and Alok Sharma: Business Secretary. This constitutes a part of the UK's bigger plan to reduce migration into the UK. To systematically tackle this, the government has curated a ''points-based'' immigration system, living up to the promise which was made in their election manifesto. Here on, not only would potential immigrants and/or citizens need to speak impeccable English, but would need an ''approved sponsor'', someone who's already a British citizen and intends to hire the person intending to visit. On fulfilling this criterion, the person would be awarded 50 points. However, it gets tricky for a potential worker would need at least 70 points to legally work in the country. There are numerous number of points, ranging from educational qualifications to the salary on offer, and the nature of the profession. If someone possesses a skill which is facing labour shortages in the country, they would be fast-tracked into migration. According to the government's statements, businesses need to ''adapt and adjust''. In essence, the UK will no longer entertain the entry of "unskilled foreign labour" into their country, especially from Europe. Also read: Five facts about Priti Patel, UK's first Indian-origin home secretary "It is important employers move away from a reliance on the UK's immigration system as an alternative to investment in staff retention, productivity and wider investment in technology and automation," the government statement said. Instead of inducting more people in the British workforce, the government suggests employing the skills of 3.2 million European Union citizens who have applied for an extension on their stay. To soften the blow, the government has also introduced sub-provisions, such as ''youth mobility arrangements'', that opens a window of 20,000 entries in the UK every year, but only for young people. This clampdown on immigrants is no longer new, as countries have spent years imitating the divisive rhetoric of Trump that is based on border protectionism with traces of nationalist fervour. Also read: After Brexit, new fast track 'global talent visa' unveiled by United Kingdom Patel has been staunchly criticised for her rhetoric during the Brexit uncertainty period, whereby she defended the alcohol and tobacco industries, and also threatened Ireland with food shortages.

Second generation immigrant Priti Patel introduces UK's anti-immigration visa guidelines

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday.

According to a global study commissioned by Automation Anywhere, in India, out of 1,000 participants surveyed, 88 per cent believe humans should not be carrying out repetitive administrative tasks if they can be automated.

The research by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-%26-economy/nearly-10000-citibank-employees-to-lose-jobs-as-bank-plans-to-introduce-robots-144218">robotic process automation</a> player noted that nearly half of workers surveyed found digital administration boring and a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/indias-it-industry-body-nasscom-dismisses-mass-layoff-reports-15782">poor use of their skills</a>, while the majority of respondents said it gets in the way of doing their main job and reduces their overall productivity. 
With an 8-hour workday being the global norm, according to the survey, the average employee loses 60 hours per month to easily automate tasks.

By deploying a digital workforce and automating these repetitive tasks, employees could be given back a quarter of their annual work time (4.5 months) to focus on more meaningful work, boosting productivity and overall business value.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/indian-women-more-tech-savvy-than-western-counterparts-246039">Indian women more tech-savvy than western counterparts</a>

At the very top of the "hated task" heap is general data entry? manually inputting data into a computer or other devices, followed closely by managing e-mail traffic and filing digital documents, such as documents, spreadsheets, images or PDFs - into the correct digital folder.

Compiling reports from IT and software systems and invoice management round out the top five most hated tasks, the survey noted. 
"Close to 80 per cent of the participants in India believe that admin work is an obstacle for them to do their main job," said Milan Sheth, Executive Vice President India, Middle East &amp; Africa, Automation Anywhere.

Sheth further said, "workers can focus on higher-value tasks if the mundane repetitive tasks can be automated".

As per the report, more than 95 per cent of participants in India are open to the idea of working alongside digital co-workers/software bots. 
Besides, 55 per cent of respondents said they would consider leaving a job if this manual administrative load became too high, while 85 per cent would be attracted to work at a company that invested in automation to reduce repetitive digital administration tasks.

Automation Anywhere commissioned independent research group OnePoll to conduct 10,500 interviews with office workers in 11 countries around the world in 2019. Respondents represented a variety of demographic groups, job levels, industry sectors, and company sizes.&nbsp; 
Human activity reducing numbers of predatory animals: Study 
London, Jan 21 (PTI) Predatory animals, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybird beetles, are most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land, or towns and cities, according to a global study.

Small ectotherms - cold-blooded animals such as invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, large endotherms, including mammals and birds, and animals that eat fungi were also disproportionally affected, researchers said.

The reduction in numbers is in abundance of 25-50 per cent compared to natural habitats, according to the researchers from the University College London (UCL) in the UK.

The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, analyzed over one million records of animal abundance at sites ranging from primary forest to intensively managed farmland, and cities.

The data represented over 25,000 species across 80 countries. Species were grouped by size, whether they were warm or cold-blooded and by what they eat. Species ranged from the oribatid mite weighing only 2x10-6 grammes to an African elephant weighing 3,825 kilogrammes.&nbsp;

"Normally when we think of predators, we think of big animals like lions or tigers," said lead author of the research, Tim Newbold from UCL. "These large predators did not decline as much as we expected with habitat loss, which we think maybe because they have already declined because of human actions in the past (such as hunting)," Newbold said.

The researchers found that small predators - such as spiders and ladybirds - show the biggest declines. The results indicate that the world's ecosystems are being restructured with disproportionate losses at the highest trophic levels - top of the food chain.

Knowing how different animal groups are impacted by changing land-use could help us better understand how these ecosystems function, and the consequences of biodiversity change.&nbsp;

"We know that different types of animals play important roles within the environment - for example, predators control populations of other animals," said Newbold. "If some types of animals decline a lot when we lose natural habitats, then they will no longer fulfil these important roles," he said.

The conversion of land to human use is associated with the removal of large amounts of natural plant biomass, usually, to give space for livestock and crops, the researchers noted. The limiting of the quantity and diversity of resources available at this level potentially explains the disproportionate reductions in predators seen in this study, they said.

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday.

Office workers are ready to welcome automation of repetitive digital tasks, as on average employees spend more than three hours a day on mundane computer tasks which are not part of their primary job and are ripe for human error, a survey said on Tuesday. According to a global study commissioned by Automation Anywhere, in India, out of 1,000 participants surveyed, 88 per cent believe humans should not be carrying out repetitive administrative tasks if they can be automated. The research by the robotic process automation player noted that nearly half of workers surveyed found digital administration boring and a poor use of their skills, while the majority of respondents said it gets in the way of doing their main job and reduces their overall productivity. With an 8-hour workday being the global norm, according to the survey, the average employee loses 60 hours per month to easily automate tasks. By deploying a digital workforce and automating these repetitive tasks, employees could be given back a quarter of their annual work time (4.5 months) to focus on more meaningful work, boosting productivity and overall business value. Also Read: Indian women more tech-savvy than western counterparts At the very top of the "hated task" heap is general data entry? manually inputting data into a computer or other devices, followed closely by managing e-mail traffic and filing digital documents, such as documents, spreadsheets, images or PDFs - into the correct digital folder. Compiling reports from IT and software systems and invoice management round out the top five most hated tasks, the survey noted. "Close to 80 per cent of the participants in India believe that admin work is an obstacle for them to do their main job," said Milan Sheth, Executive Vice President India, Middle East & Africa, Automation Anywhere. Sheth further said, "workers can focus on higher-value tasks if the mundane repetitive tasks can be automated". As per the report, more than 95 per cent of participants in India are open to the idea of working alongside digital co-workers/software bots. Besides, 55 per cent of respondents said they would consider leaving a job if this manual administrative load became too high, while 85 per cent would be attracted to work at a company that invested in automation to reduce repetitive digital administration tasks. Automation Anywhere commissioned independent research group OnePoll to conduct 10,500 interviews with office workers in 11 countries around the world in 2019. Respondents represented a variety of demographic groups, job levels, industry sectors, and company sizes. Human activity reducing numbers of predatory animals: Study London, Jan 21 (PTI) Predatory animals, especially small invertebrates like spiders and ladybird beetles, are most likely to be lost when natural habitats are converted to agricultural land, or towns and cities, according to a global study. Small ectotherms - cold-blooded animals such as invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, large endotherms, including mammals and birds, and animals that eat fungi were also disproportionally affected, researchers said. The reduction in numbers is in abundance of 25-50 per cent compared to natural habitats, according to the researchers from the University College London (UCL) in the UK. The study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, analyzed over one million records of animal abundance at sites ranging from primary forest to intensively managed farmland, and cities. The data represented over 25,000 species across 80 countries. Species were grouped by size, whether they were warm or cold-blooded and by what they eat. Species ranged from the oribatid mite weighing only 2x10-6 grammes to an African elephant weighing 3,825 kilogrammes. "Normally when we think of predators, we think of big animals like lions or tigers," said lead author of the research, Tim Newbold from UCL. "These large predators did not decline as much as we expected with habitat loss, which we think maybe because they have already declined because of human actions in the past (such as hunting)," Newbold said. The researchers found that small predators - such as spiders and ladybirds - show the biggest declines. The results indicate that the world's ecosystems are being restructured with disproportionate losses at the highest trophic levels - top of the food chain. Knowing how different animal groups are impacted by changing land-use could help us better understand how these ecosystems function, and the consequences of biodiversity change. "We know that different types of animals play important roles within the environment - for example, predators control populations of other animals," said Newbold. "If some types of animals decline a lot when we lose natural habitats, then they will no longer fulfil these important roles," he said. The conversion of land to human use is associated with the removal of large amounts of natural plant biomass, usually, to give space for livestock and crops, the researchers noted. The limiting of the quantity and diversity of resources available at this level potentially explains the disproportionate reductions in predators seen in this study, they said.

Employees spend over 3 hours a day on easily automatable tasks: Study

A United Nations report today revealed that half a billion people around the world are unable to find reasonably paid work, leading to poverty and increasing the class disparity, The Guardian reported.

In the study, UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that more than 473 million people around the world don't have access to means of employment or are employed in jobs that are unable to fulfil their needs.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/2153-billionaires-have-more-money-than-46-billion-people-combined-oxfam-275420">2,153 billionaires have more money than 4.6 billion people combined -&nbsp;Oxfam</a>

The report comes in at a time when international leaders are gathering at the World Economic Forum&nbsp;at a Swiss Ski resort in&nbsp;Davos, Switzerland.

The world has been witnessing trade tensions which have slowed down economic growth. The UN agency claims that this could slow down the efforts to alleviate poverty in low-income countries and could take the focus away from decarbonising the world economy.

<h6><img alt="eeee" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4dbfdb44-6cdb-4b27-acc7-dd89f88442c3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_55.jpg" /> 
A street vendor sells chicken on a cart alongside a street in Rawalpindi on January 20, 2020 | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

After a long lull in the arena of unemployment, the number rose for the first time in a decade. This may be attributed to slowing economies, which has, in turn, put 2.5 million out of work, taking the total figure of unemployed people to 190 million.

Guy Ryder, the director-general of the ILO, said: ''For millions of ordinary people, it’s increasingly difficult to build better lives through work''.

The world currently has a working-age population of 5.7 billion people. According to ILO, around 165 million people are employed but unable to find work that pays an adequate amount of money to cater to their needs.

Additionally, 119 million people have given up on searching for jobs or had no access to the job market. Besides the officially unemployed people, more than 473 million in the world remain affected.

<h6><img alt="oooo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dc432c2b-fbcc-49fb-b0c2-6d5f3780dee8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%282%29_47.jpg" /> 
A labourer sleeps on sacks as traffic moves past him in a wholesale market in the old quarters of Delhi, India, January 7, 2020 | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

“Persisting and substantial work-related inequalities and exclusion are preventing them from finding decent work and better futures. That’s an extremely serious finding that has profound and worrying implications for social cohesion”, Ryder added.

The ILO further implied that the world is missing out on a huge pool of human talent that could trigger long-lasting economic and social benefits.

Owing to the lack of well-paying jobs, more than 630 million workers worldwide lived in extreme or moderate poverty with incomes lesser than $3.20 a day. These people are at the biggest risk of destitution.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sharp-slwodown-in-india-a-drag-on-world-economy-275527">Sharp slowdown in India drag on world economy, says IMF</a>

A United Nations report today revealed that half a billion people around the world are unable to find reasonably paid work, leading to poverty and increasing the class disparity, The Guardian reported.

A United Nations report today revealed that half a billion people around the world are unable to find reasonably paid work, leading to poverty and increasing the class disparity, The Guardian reported. In the study, UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that more than 473 million people around the world don't have access to means of employment or are employed in jobs that are unable to fulfil their needs. Also read: 2,153 billionaires have more money than 4.6 billion people combined - Oxfam The report comes in at a time when international leaders are gathering at the World Economic Forum at a Swiss Ski resort in Davos, Switzerland. The world has been witnessing trade tensions which have slowed down economic growth. The UN agency claims that this could slow down the efforts to alleviate poverty in low-income countries and could take the focus away from decarbonising the world economy. A street vendor sells chicken on a cart alongside a street in Rawalpindi on January 20, 2020 | AFP After a long lull in the arena of unemployment, the number rose for the first time in a decade. This may be attributed to slowing economies, which has, in turn, put 2.5 million out of work, taking the total figure of unemployed people to 190 million. Guy Ryder, the director-general of the ILO, said: ''For millions of ordinary people, it’s increasingly difficult to build better lives through work''. The world currently has a working-age population of 5.7 billion people. According to ILO, around 165 million people are employed but unable to find work that pays an adequate amount of money to cater to their needs. Additionally, 119 million people have given up on searching for jobs or had no access to the job market. Besides the officially unemployed people, more than 473 million in the world remain affected. A labourer sleeps on sacks as traffic moves past him in a wholesale market in the old quarters of Delhi, India, January 7, 2020 | Reuters “Persisting and substantial work-related inequalities and exclusion are preventing them from finding decent work and better futures. That’s an extremely serious finding that has profound and worrying implications for social cohesion”, Ryder added. The ILO further implied that the world is missing out on a huge pool of human talent that could trigger long-lasting economic and social benefits. Owing to the lack of well-paying jobs, more than 630 million workers worldwide lived in extreme or moderate poverty with incomes lesser than $3.20 a day. These people are at the biggest risk of destitution. Also read: Sharp slowdown in India drag on world economy, says IMF

More than 473 million people can't find reasonably paying work: United Nations report

India, which is projected to be the world’s youngest country by the next year, encompasses the world’s largest youth population with 356 million people in the age group of 10-25 years [United Nations report (2014)]. This large section of the tertiary-age population provides our country with an exclusive demographic advantage. According to a report, there is an overall positive trend in talent supply as over 47.68 per cent of the graduates were found to be employable in 2019 against only 33 per cent in 2014 [India Skills Report (2019) released by the Confederation of Indian Industries].&nbsp;

However, despite these promising statistics and unique demographic dividend, a major segment of the Indian graduates still remain unemployable.

The youth in our country face multiple obstacles to find desirable and suitable job opportunities analogous to their educational qualifications. It is quite ironical that higher educational institutions/academia across the country are training millions of youth annually but the industry often complaints about the inadequacy of necessary skills among them desired for a suitable job. On the contrary, academia and industry also point fingers at the government for ineffective implementation of policies and sometimes even deficiency of government initiatives for a higher education system similar to global standards.

With the increase in the number of graduates and working population annually, employability and skilling have become two of the biggest challenges for the country’s growth. The Central Government in order to face the two challenges has proposed various youth-centric programmes and schemes. For instance, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Skill Development Mission, Udaan, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Entrepreneurship Development Programme and Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement among several others. In addition, recently, in 2014, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh to make its state as ‘knowledge and skills hub’ and promote ‘skill development and entrepreneurship’ had started Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC).&nbsp;

The APSSDC under its regime and to impart skill development trainings and taking up job facilitation had developed various programs for schools and degree students (imparting training in English/Soft skills and IT computational thinking, certification courses in finance/accounting etc.), engineering students (IT/certification courses in engineering colleges, day-long workshops, etc.) and international programmes for such students (setting up training centers to provide industry-relevant, placement training in colleges, etc.)&nbsp;

These initiatives and schemes as proposed by the Central Government indicate its assurance of fulfilment of certain principles envisaged under the Directive Principles of the State Policy (Part IV of the Constitution of India). The Government including the State Governments have indeed played an active role in eliminating inequalities in facilities and opportunities amongst the people engaged in different vocations. However, in order to face the conundrum of employability amongst the young graduates, it is vital to contrive specific strategies that bridge the gap between employability preferences and labour market realities. Nonetheless, it would also be unrealistic to expect the Central Government to overcome this challenge without solidarity from the states. It is essential that the industry and academia work in a symbiotic relationship with the various government agencies and their departments to explore this demographic divided.

Another aspect that becomes imperative while the Indian economy undergoes swift and concurrent economic, demographic, social and technological shifts, is to ascertain how best the academic curriculum can address various necessities and demands of the dynamic industry and the economy. The Government in cooperation with academia may look at the existing curriculum and assess if the same can be made more practical and flexible in approach accommodating the shifts within the industry. For instance, to improve standards of higher education in India in tune with the transforming the needs of the industry and market, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has taken various initiatives including the revision of curriculum on regular basis. AICTE has instructed all the higher education institutes across India to revise their curriculum every three years.

Notwithstanding the role of the government in providing basic education and training, there is also a significant need for greater involvement of the private sector or the industry in increasing employability amongst the graduates. Since the private sector plays a pivotal role in contributing a significant portion in India’s GDP, it becomes vital for the private sector to contribute towards employability of the youth in the country. A combination of economic, business and technology factors have led to a steady rise in synergistic partnerships between the industry and academia in many countries like Canada, Singapore, UK, USA and few others for several years. Given the dynamic nature of business today, enterprises collaborate with the universities for providing continuous training to their employees across disciplines. This ensures that their employees have a contemporary understanding of the best practices in their field of work, while also promoting employee satisfaction. On the other hand, universities carry this understanding of the needs of the corporate sector and incorporate the same into their academic curriculum. For universities, this is a critical way in which they can create comprehensive coursework that is exceeding relevant in the job market today.

In India, the serious issue has been that the higher education sector and the industrial sector have worked in isolation from each other. On one hand, the industry needs talent and on the other, there is an abundance of graduates who do not have industry-oriented skills. In countries like the US, corporates reach out to universities/institutions to bring innovation into their work, while in India, corporates and industry bodies rely mostly on their own research rather than reaching out to academia. However, India has experienced a change in its approach recently. Various corporates and academia are taking a step forward to build a cordial relationship. For instance, HDFC Bank, as a part of its industry-academia partnership, has announced its plan to partner 50 technology companies and business schools to tap emerging fintech ideas starting with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Roorkee. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) has increased its funding to IIT-Madras by nearly Rs. 300 crore to encourage innovation and strengthen the industry-academia relationship. A few trade associations representing the Indian ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) industry have also signed MoUs with institutions to build a robust talent pipeline in the ESDM space.

One of the approaches to tackle the problem of inadequacy in skills and job readiness among youth is by bridging the gap between Government, industry and academia. The second could be that academia, apart from imparting the technical knowledge, should impart training in enhancing softer/interpersonal skills, leadership capability, attitude, communication skills, etc. Moreover, it should inculcate such schemes from primary level in schools. Academia should also include workplace exposure through internships, live projects, corporate interactions in the curriculum and provide credits to the students for the same. Such programmes enable the students to keep pace to the needs of the industry. It would be heartening to see the Government as well as the private sector step forward and work exclusively with the academicians to create and develop a shared model for jobs and curriculum to address the industrial needs so that India can fully utilise the demographic dividend that it possesses.

(Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

India, which is projected to be the world’s youngest country by the next year, encompasses the world’s largest youth population with 356 million people in the age group of 10-25 years [United Nations report (2014)].

India, which is projected to be the world’s youngest country by the next year, encompasses the world’s largest youth population with 356 million people in the age group of 10-25 years [United Nations report (2014)]. This large section of the tertiary-age population provides our country with an exclusive demographic advantage. According to a report, there is an overall positive trend in talent supply as over 47.68 per cent of the graduates were found to be employable in 2019 against only 33 per cent in 2014 [India Skills Report (2019) released by the Confederation of Indian Industries]. However, despite these promising statistics and unique demographic dividend, a major segment of the Indian graduates still remain unemployable. The youth in our country face multiple obstacles to find desirable and suitable job opportunities analogous to their educational qualifications. It is quite ironical that higher educational institutions/academia across the country are training millions of youth annually but the industry often complaints about the inadequacy of necessary skills among them desired for a suitable job. On the contrary, academia and industry also point fingers at the government for ineffective implementation of policies and sometimes even deficiency of government initiatives for a higher education system similar to global standards. With the increase in the number of graduates and working population annually, employability and skilling have become two of the biggest challenges for the country’s growth. The Central Government in order to face the two challenges has proposed various youth-centric programmes and schemes. For instance, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Skill Development Mission, Udaan, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Entrepreneurship Development Programme and Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement among several others. In addition, recently, in 2014, the State Government of Andhra Pradesh to make its state as ‘knowledge and skills hub’ and promote ‘skill development and entrepreneurship’ had started Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC). The APSSDC under its regime and to impart skill development trainings and taking up job facilitation had developed various programs for schools and degree students (imparting training in English/Soft skills and IT computational thinking, certification courses in finance/accounting etc.), engineering students (IT/certification courses in engineering colleges, day-long workshops, etc.) and international programmes for such students (setting up training centers to provide industry-relevant, placement training in colleges, etc.) These initiatives and schemes as proposed by the Central Government indicate its assurance of fulfilment of certain principles envisaged under the Directive Principles of the State Policy (Part IV of the Constitution of India). The Government including the State Governments have indeed played an active role in eliminating inequalities in facilities and opportunities amongst the people engaged in different vocations. However, in order to face the conundrum of employability amongst the young graduates, it is vital to contrive specific strategies that bridge the gap between employability preferences and labour market realities. Nonetheless, it would also be unrealistic to expect the Central Government to overcome this challenge without solidarity from the states. It is essential that the industry and academia work in a symbiotic relationship with the various government agencies and their departments to explore this demographic divided. Another aspect that becomes imperative while the Indian economy undergoes swift and concurrent economic, demographic, social and technological shifts, is to ascertain how best the academic curriculum can address various necessities and demands of the dynamic industry and the economy. The Government in cooperation with academia may look at the existing curriculum and assess if the same can be made more practical and flexible in approach accommodating the shifts within the industry. For instance, to improve standards of higher education in India in tune with the transforming the needs of the industry and market, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has taken various initiatives including the revision of curriculum on regular basis. AICTE has instructed all the higher education institutes across India to revise their curriculum every three years. Notwithstanding the role of the government in providing basic education and training, there is also a significant need for greater involvement of the private sector or the industry in increasing employability amongst the graduates. Since the private sector plays a pivotal role in contributing a significant portion in India’s GDP, it becomes vital for the private sector to contribute towards employability of the youth in the country. A combination of economic, business and technology factors have led to a steady rise in synergistic partnerships between the industry and academia in many countries like Canada, Singapore, UK, USA and few others for several years. Given the dynamic nature of business today, enterprises collaborate with the universities for providing continuous training to their employees across disciplines. This ensures that their employees have a contemporary understanding of the best practices in their field of work, while also promoting employee satisfaction. On the other hand, universities carry this understanding of the needs of the corporate sector and incorporate the same into their academic curriculum. For universities, this is a critical way in which they can create comprehensive coursework that is exceeding relevant in the job market today. In India, the serious issue has been that the higher education sector and the industrial sector have worked in isolation from each other. On one hand, the industry needs talent and on the other, there is an abundance of graduates who do not have industry-oriented skills. In countries like the US, corporates reach out to universities/institutions to bring innovation into their work, while in India, corporates and industry bodies rely mostly on their own research rather than reaching out to academia. However, India has experienced a change in its approach recently. Various corporates and academia are taking a step forward to build a cordial relationship. For instance, HDFC Bank, as a part of its industry-academia partnership, has announced its plan to partner 50 technology companies and business schools to tap emerging fintech ideas starting with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Roorkee. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) has increased its funding to IIT-Madras by nearly Rs. 300 crore to encourage innovation and strengthen the industry-academia relationship. A few trade associations representing the Indian ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) industry have also signed MoUs with institutions to build a robust talent pipeline in the ESDM space. One of the approaches to tackle the problem of inadequacy in skills and job readiness among youth is by bridging the gap between Government, industry and academia. The second could be that academia, apart from imparting the technical knowledge, should impart training in enhancing softer/interpersonal skills, leadership capability, attitude, communication skills, etc. Moreover, it should inculcate such schemes from primary level in schools. Academia should also include workplace exposure through internships, live projects, corporate interactions in the curriculum and provide credits to the students for the same. Such programmes enable the students to keep pace to the needs of the industry. It would be heartening to see the Government as well as the private sector step forward and work exclusively with the academicians to create and develop a shared model for jobs and curriculum to address the industrial needs so that India can fully utilise the demographic dividend that it possesses. (Views expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Bridging the skill gap in India

The youth has a major role to play in the vision of "New India" and the Centre was coming up with new education policy to strengthen the education system in the country and make education employment-oriented, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Friday. 
 
Speaking at the 25th convocation ceremony of Himachal Pradesh University, Pokhriyal said: "The youth has a major role to play in the vision of 'New India'. The Union government was coming up with a new education policy to strengthen the education system in the country and make education employment-oriented." 
 
The Union Minister said that India was known as the 'Vishwa Guru' across the world since time immemorial due to knowledge and wisdom. 
 
Stating that India believes in universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, he said: "The challenges in life become opportunities for those who accept them. With the launch of schemes such as 'Make in India', Skill India, Start-Up etc., there were ample employment and self-employment opportunities to the youth of the country." 
 
He urged the students to work with dedication to make India a five trillion economy in the next few years. 
 
As many as 448 degrees and gold medals were awarded on the occasion to meritorious students, out of which 276 were females and 172 males. 
 
State Governor Bandaru Dattatraya said that the aim of education should be gaining knowledge along with character building. He called upon the students to develop skills along with higher education, which would help to get employment. 
 
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government was committed to providing quality education to students of the state by strengthening the existing infrastructure.

"The motto of the government was to make Himachal Pradesh an 'education hub' of the country," he said.

The youth has a major role to play in the vision of "New India" and the Centre was coming up with new education policy to strengthen the education system in the country and make education employment-oriented, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Friday.

The youth has a major role to play in the vision of "New India" and the Centre was coming up with new education policy to strengthen the education system in the country and make education employment-oriented, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Friday. Speaking at the 25th convocation ceremony of Himachal Pradesh University, Pokhriyal said: "The youth has a major role to play in the vision of 'New India'. The Union government was coming up with a new education policy to strengthen the education system in the country and make education employment-oriented." The Union Minister said that India was known as the 'Vishwa Guru' across the world since time immemorial due to knowledge and wisdom. Stating that India believes in universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, he said: "The challenges in life become opportunities for those who accept them. With the launch of schemes such as 'Make in India', Skill India, Start-Up etc., there were ample employment and self-employment opportunities to the youth of the country." He urged the students to work with dedication to make India a five trillion economy in the next few years. As many as 448 degrees and gold medals were awarded on the occasion to meritorious students, out of which 276 were females and 172 males. State Governor Bandaru Dattatraya said that the aim of education should be gaining knowledge along with character building. He called upon the students to develop skills along with higher education, which would help to get employment. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government was committed to providing quality education to students of the state by strengthening the existing infrastructure. "The motto of the government was to make Himachal Pradesh an 'education hub' of the country," he said.

Centre to strengthen education system, make it employment-oriented: Ramesh Pokhriyal

The United States labour market took a punch in October from an extended strike at General Motors but the economy continued to add jobs at a solid pace, according to official data released Friday.

Employers added 128,000 net new jobs, well above expectations and gains in the prior months were revised up sharply, the Labor Department reported in the closely-watched monthly employment report.

Meanwhile, wages continued to climb, even as the jobless rate rose a notch to a still-low 3.6 per cent, matching economists' expectations.

Nearly 50,000 GM workers were called back to work this week following a six-week strike but not before the stoppage put a deep dent in October's auto industry employment levels.

The ranks of auto workers shrank by more than 41,000, according to the report,&nbsp;the biggest drop in that sector since October 2009, when the American auto giant was at the brink of collapse.

Elsewhere hiring was resilient, averting the dire outcomes some economists had predicted, as bars, restaurants and financial services companies continued to snap up new workers.

And even with the GM strike, the job gains in August and September were revised up by a combined 95,000, the Labor Department said.

Overall job growth has slowed in 2019 to a monthly average of 167,000, compared to 223,000 last year, as the supply of available workers dwindles and skittish companies hold off on adding workers amid concerns about the US-China trade war.

But low unemployment and steady job growth should continue to support consumer spending, which represents the lion's share of US economic activity.

Compared to October of last year, worker pay rose three per cent, meaning year-on-year wage gains have been at or above three per cent for 15 straight months.

The Federal Reserve this week cut interest rates for the third time in a row, moving to shield the economy from a global slowdown and the effects of US President Donald Trump's trade wars.

But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell signalled Wednesday the central bank likely will hold off on providing any further stimulus to the economy.

The United States labour market took a punch in October from an extended strike at General Motors but the economy continued to add jobs at a solid pace, according to official data released Friday.

The United States labour market took a punch in October from an extended strike at General Motors but the economy continued to add jobs at a solid pace, according to official data released Friday. Employers added 128,000 net new jobs, well above expectations and gains in the prior months were revised up sharply, the Labor Department reported in the closely-watched monthly employment report. Meanwhile, wages continued to climb, even as the jobless rate rose a notch to a still-low 3.6 per cent, matching economists' expectations. Nearly 50,000 GM workers were called back to work this week following a six-week strike but not before the stoppage put a deep dent in October's auto industry employment levels. The ranks of auto workers shrank by more than 41,000, according to the report, the biggest drop in that sector since October 2009, when the American auto giant was at the brink of collapse. Elsewhere hiring was resilient, averting the dire outcomes some economists had predicted, as bars, restaurants and financial services companies continued to snap up new workers. And even with the GM strike, the job gains in August and September were revised up by a combined 95,000, the Labor Department said. Overall job growth has slowed in 2019 to a monthly average of 167,000, compared to 223,000 last year, as the supply of available workers dwindles and skittish companies hold off on adding workers amid concerns about the US-China trade war. But low unemployment and steady job growth should continue to support consumer spending, which represents the lion's share of US economic activity. Compared to October of last year, worker pay rose three per cent, meaning year-on-year wage gains have been at or above three per cent for 15 straight months. The Federal Reserve this week cut interest rates for the third time in a row, moving to shield the economy from a global slowdown and the effects of US President Donald Trump's trade wars. But Fed Chairman Jerome Powell signalled Wednesday the central bank likely will hold off on providing any further stimulus to the economy.

United States adds 128,000 jobs in October, jobless rate rises to 3.6% amid General Motors strike

Gold prices were little changed on Thursday, following an over 1 per cent jump in the previous session, as investors awaited more data to gauge the health of the US economy.

Spot gold was steady at $1,498.97 per ounce, as of 0543 GMT, while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-nifty-slip-as-united-states-widens-trade-war-to-europe-yes-bank-recovers-253385">US </a>gold futures slipped 0.2 per cent to $1,504.90 per ounce.

The precious metal jumped 1.4 per cent on Wednesday after disappointing hiring by US private employers unnerved investors already concerned about slowing growth in the world's largest economy.

"Gold is clearly being used as a hedge against volatility in other markets," said OANDA analyst Jeffrey Halley.

"With negative investor sentiment on global growth and trade and the meltdown in equity markets overnight we saw a flight to safe havens."

The jobs data comes ahead of the more comprehensive US nonfarm payrolls report due on Friday and added to the gloom prompted by a survey that showed manufacturing activity in the United States tumbled to a more than 10-year low in September.

The disappointing readings weighed on the dollar, which hit near one-week lows against the euro and yen.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tokyo-leads-asian-market-gains-in-holiday-trade-252929">Asian stocks</a> also slipped on Thursday, following a drop on Wall Street, after Washington opened a new trade war front by saying it would impose tariffs on $7.5 billion of goods from the European Union.

"Gold prices have rallied strongly as weak economic data and geopolitical risks have increased the likelihood of further rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve," analysts at ANZ said in a note.

"US jobless data on Friday and consumer confidence early next week will be a key driver of gold in the short term."

Indicative of investor interest, holdings at SPDR Gold Trust the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.32 per cent to 923.76 tonnes on Wednesday.

On the technical front, spot gold may end its bounce in a range of $1,514-$1,524 per ounce, as suggested by a retracement analysis and a falling channel, according to Reuters analyst Wang Tao.

Among other precious metals, platinum was flat at $886.59 per ounce, while silver rose 0.2 per cent to $17.60 an ounce.

Palladium was up 0.1 per cent at $1,689.40 per ounce.

Gold prices were little changed on Thursday, following an over 1 per cent jump in the previous session, as investors awaited more data to gauge the health of the US economy.

Gold prices were little changed on Thursday, following an over 1 per cent jump in the previous session, as investors awaited more data to gauge the health of the US economy. Spot gold was steady at $1,498.97 per ounce, as of 0543 GMT, while US gold futures slipped 0.2 per cent to $1,504.90 per ounce. The precious metal jumped 1.4 per cent on Wednesday after disappointing hiring by US private employers unnerved investors already concerned about slowing growth in the world's largest economy. "Gold is clearly being used as a hedge against volatility in other markets," said OANDA analyst Jeffrey Halley. "With negative investor sentiment on global growth and trade and the meltdown in equity markets overnight we saw a flight to safe havens." The jobs data comes ahead of the more comprehensive US nonfarm payrolls report due on Friday and added to the gloom prompted by a survey that showed manufacturing activity in the United States tumbled to a more than 10-year low in September. The disappointing readings weighed on the dollar, which hit near one-week lows against the euro and yen. Asian stocks also slipped on Thursday, following a drop on Wall Street, after Washington opened a new trade war front by saying it would impose tariffs on $7.5 billion of goods from the European Union. "Gold prices have rallied strongly as weak economic data and geopolitical risks have increased the likelihood of further rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve," analysts at ANZ said in a note. "US jobless data on Friday and consumer confidence early next week will be a key driver of gold in the short term." Indicative of investor interest, holdings at SPDR Gold Trust the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.32 per cent to 923.76 tonnes on Wednesday. On the technical front, spot gold may end its bounce in a range of $1,514-$1,524 per ounce, as suggested by a retracement analysis and a falling channel, according to Reuters analyst Wang Tao. Among other precious metals, platinum was flat at $886.59 per ounce, while silver rose 0.2 per cent to $17.60 an ounce. Palladium was up 0.1 per cent at $1,689.40 per ounce.

Gold prices steady as market awaits United States employment report

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Megan Helsel, a kayaking wildlife specialist, has her dream job, and T'angelo Magee is making headway toward his, a commercial pilot. Both say work is central to their identity.

Megan Helsel, a kayaking wildlife specialist, has her dream job, and T'angelo Magee is making headway toward his, a commercial pilot. Both say work is central to their identity. Both are disabled. Americans with disabilities, physical and cognitive, in recent months have been joining the workforce at a faster pace than those without disabilities, according to data collected by organizations that work with the disabled. Labor Day on September 2 may be the first time the disabled regain an employment rate that was upended by the 2008 Great Recession. The gains are the result of both technological advances and workplace flexibility that lessens commuting barriers, according to experts on disabled workers. But the gains also reflect the pull of a tight labour market. With the US unemployment rate at just 3.7 per cent - roughly a half-century low - employers have increasingly considered job applicants they often overlooked in the first stages of what is now a record-long economic expansion. "The recent uptick is basically 'the full employment story' - it makes firms look at other populations they haven't previously considered," said Andrew Houtenville, economics associate professor at the University of New Hampshire. Helsel was working in her kayak on bird counts and other wildlife projects for the US Department of Agriculture in New Jersey in 2016 when a previously undetected tumour burst in her spine, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. When her doctor broke the news about her sudden life-altering disability, Helsel's first question concerned returning to work. "He said, 'You're probably never going to walk again.' I asked, 'When am I going to be able to kayak again?'" recalled Helsel, 32. New technology has helped Helsel and other disabled people to get on an employer's payroll. Widely-used apps include Venmo, which allows mobility-challenged workers to easily bill customers, and iPhone's VoiceOver, which lets visually impaired workers conduct business. More specialized breakthroughs include an electronic-stimulating leg cuff Helsel wears instead of a bulkier brace that restricts her to wearing sneakers. The cuff enables her to don thermal boots needed to kayak through frigid winter waters. Recession Threat Helsel is among the roughly 15 million disabled Americans ages 16 to 64, which represents about 7 per cent of all working-age Americans, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Population Survey for July. Labour force participation for working-age disabled Americans increased 6.5 per cent in July from a year earlier, compared to a 0.3 per cent increase for working-age Americans without disabilities, according to national Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE), a monthly report issued by the Kessler Foundation, a non-profit organization, and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability. It is part of a two-year strengthening of the job market for disabled Americans, a rebound from the 2008 recession, which obliterated jobs for disabled workers at a faster rate than for those without disabilities, said John O'Neill, director of employment and disability research at Kessler Foundation. The employment rate for disabled workers was 32.7 per cent in 2008 and plunged to 24.1 per cent in 2014. While workers without disabilities also suffered job losses, they regained pre-recession employment rates by June 2017 and, maintaining momentum, their job numbers are higher than ever. Disabled workers have yet to reach that recovery milestone, although experts say it is now in sight. Slow and steady growth started in 2015 and boosted employment to 31.2 per cent last month, according to the most recent nTIDE report. By Labor Day, the rate could reach 32.7 per cent again, said Sarah Boege, a UNH policy analyst. Less clear, however, is whether that hard-won recovery can last through what some economists say is an impending recession. Despite the upswing in employment rates for disabled workers, some employers have outdated notions about disabled workers that create barriers to landing a job. Magee, a heavy equipment operator who was paralyzed from the chest down in a motorcycle accident, has gone on 26 job interviews in the past six months for such positions as an office administrator for a building complex and front desk receptionist for a law firm. "On the resume and phone interviews, it’s like I’m the perfect candidate. Then when I get there and they see I’m in the wheelchair, everything changes," said Magee, 32, who ended up starting his own mobile notary business in Hackensack, New Jersey. His career goal is to pilot small aircraft for commercial US travellers. The US Army veteran who is married with a 3-year-old daughter this year was trained in an aircraft with adaptive controls. He was among 10 students selected out of 27,000 applicants for the Able Flight program. Now he is searching for similar training to earn his commercial license. "In my wheelchair, I do a lot more than the average man on the street," Magee said. "I'm definitely going to do it."

Disabled workers chase 'dream jobs' in the tight US labour market

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