The average contribution employers are paying into an occupational pension
scheme is rising, according to research by pay and benefits consultancy IDS.
The study looked at over 260 salary schemes across the UK and found total
contributions for the most recent year were £3.81bn compared with £3.46bn the
previous year. The largest rise was at the ICL pension fund which rose from
£2.4m to £43.2m.
Headhunting launch
Jordan Rose Consulting has been launched in Birmingham as a headhunting and
HR company to provide services to a range of industries across Britain. The
company was set up by Jill Coxon, formerly a director of Alba Selection.
E-business purchase
On-line HR solutions provider PWA group has been acquired by Great Plains
for £24m. Great Plains, which specialises in e-business solutions, aims to
automate HR processes.
Cyber link for jobless
A public-private partnership is to provide the long-term unemployed with
their own cyber cafés so they can access free interactive training. The cafés
are to be set up in a number of so-called working links zones across the UK
including Glasgow, Nottingham and Southwark and Tower Hamlets in London. Partners
in the initiative are Manpower, Ernst & Young and the Employment Service.
Calls for £5 wage
Nearly 90 per cent of people believe the National Minimum Wage should be
raised from £3.60 to £5, according to a survey. The Unison study found 87 per
cent wanted the increase in the South West. The Government plans to increase it
to £3.70 later this year.
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FTSE lacks job sites
Thirty per cent of the FTSE top 100 companies do not have recruitment sites,
according to a survey. Recruitment specialist Best International Group’s study
found a quarter of the organisations that do have web sites concentrate
exclusively on graduate intake.
