Job vacancies surge past one million in new record • Hacker News Board

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#211

Post by Mordisquitos » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 2:59 PM UTC

jurmous wrote: post #78

I am curious when the UK will be less strict with worker visas again for European workers after Brexit. It seems the UK has way more economic issues during this phase of the pandemic than mainland EU. On the mainland there are no empty supermarkets, or farms not being able to harvest because of labour shortages. So it seems to be a Brexit issue. But if they allow more European workers again, what was then the point o…

> It seems the UK has way more economic issues during this phase of the pandemic than mainland EU.

Tangentially related to this, I have heard little mention about how the timing of the pandemic may have been an absolute godsend and a lifesaver for the current British government. The consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions on the international economy and world trade have made it the perfect scapegoat to blame for the impact of no-deal Brexit.

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#212

Post by tonyedgecombe » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 2:59 PM UTC

luckylion wrote: post #157

neilwilson wrote: post #130

There are 1.034 million vacancies and 3.277 million people without work that want it. There isn't a shortage of labour. There is a shortage of decent pay and conditions. Firms are going to have to get over their cheap labour obsession or close and leave the market to those firms that can.

I have a neighbor who is quite happy with what the government pays him while he's not working. I'm sure he could be motivated to work by offering larger salaries, but they'd have to be raised by at least 100% to convince him to go from 0 hours/week to 40 hours/week. I'm not sure there are 3.277 million people without work who want it.

He must be particularly frugal then as the government doesn't pay you much to sit on your backside.

https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#213

Post by Workaccount2 » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 2:59 PM UTC

Factorium wrote: post #193

nly wrote: post #44

Housing is anything from a third to 50% of the average UK earners take home income. Median house price to median income ratios are at historically high levels[0], and rents are now also rising[1] Either wages need to rise or house prices need to fall. [0] If you look at somewhere mundane like Essex the median 'affordability ratio', as measured by the Office of National Statistics ( https://tinyurl.com/x5jatcx8 ), was…

If you permanently reduce immigration, including deporting unauthorised migrants, you can achieve both of those things. Given the cost of land and building, we should consider Western nations 'full' and only allow immigration 'swaps' from other highly developed countries.

The issue with this though is two fold:

1.) You cannot have a nation of college degree high skilled workers. At least until robots and AI are widespread. Being rich is a lot less fun when you cannot spend it anywhere, because none of those places have a staff.

2.) Since people aren't having kids, and we love to saddle the future with liabilities, someone has to fill that void.

All the hot shot AI inventory management software in the world is useless without grunts actually executing it's guidance on the ground.

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#214

Post by tonyedgecombe » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:00 PM UTC

NiceWayToDoIT wrote: post #66

jenscow wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just increase wages and increase prices.

Second part is not that simple in global economy if you have Chinese cheap labor as direct competitors especially in the food industry where margins for farmers are already too low. I would recommend Jeremy Clarkson - "Clarkson's Farm" first year of operation on a 300 acres farm made a yearly profit of £144 :)

Most farms are like that in the UK, they are completely dependent on government subsidy.

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#215

Post by snarf21 » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:01 PM UTC

Factorium wrote: post #193

nly wrote: post #44

Housing is anything from a third to 50% of the average UK earners take home income. Median house price to median income ratios are at historically high levels[0], and rents are now also rising[1] Either wages need to rise or house prices need to fall. [0] If you look at somewhere mundane like Essex the median 'affordability ratio', as measured by the Office of National Statistics ( https://tinyurl.com/x5jatcx8 ), was…

If you permanently reduce immigration, including deporting unauthorised migrants, you can achieve both of those things. Given the cost of land and building, we should consider Western nations 'full' and only allow immigration 'swaps' from other highly developed countries.

So your solution to inequity is to pull the ladder up behind you? What did you DO to deserve to be born in a Western nation?

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#216

Post by tonyedgecombe » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:04 PM UTC

wing-_-nuts wrote: post #195

dageshi wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I might be wrong, but I thought he was factoring in all the equipment he bought in that first year in that calculation? So next year you wouldn't have that cost.

Isn't it standard practice to amortize the cost of capital goods over their lifetime?

If it's after tax profit they were talking about then you can claim an annual investment allowance of £1 million.

https://www.gov.uk/capital-allowances/annual-investment-allo...

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#217

Post by Scoundreller » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:04 PM UTC

CodeGlitch wrote: post #101

thomasz wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not like the working class doesn't have to eat. In fact, they will be hit hardest by increasing food prices. > Indication of some degree of food insecurity was reported by 14.2% of the sample and tended to be higher amongst younger age groups, those on lower incomes, and home renters (as opposed to owners). https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/advance-article/doi/10.1... I somewhat doubt that we're talking about…

True - but other aspects of your running costs (electricity, gas, rent, etc) will not increase, as I don't believe they depend on cheap labour. Interestingly (can't find the reference right now), I've read that the high cost of labour in the UK contributed to the push for mechanisation of farming, which resulted in the industrial revolution (something we have all benefited from). In China, labour costs were (are?) so…

Or just better distribution. It’s not hard for an Apple picker to pick a few dollars worth of apples per minute at harvest time, but that’s the supermarket price, not what the farmer can sell them off for per bushel.

I know picking isn’t the only cost, but it seems like the cost of picking doubling or trebling should have minute effect on profitability.

Farmers need to get better at capturing the price that consumers are willing to pay.

Somehow, farmers markets have become the place to pay premium prices instead of lower prices.

Or convince consumers that a bit of scab on an apple is fine to eat and doesn’t need to be destined to make sauce or juice.

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#218

Post by tonyedgecombe » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:05 PM UTC

ndr wrote: post #11

"We advertised locally for 70 fruit-pickers and we had nine applications. On follow-up, only one was still available... in terms of recruiting locally, we failed completely," says Ali Capper, the owner of Stocks Farm in Suckley and chair of British Apples and Pears. At her orchard, harvest has just started. It must be done quickly and requires many pairs of hands. Ali had to turn to specialist recruitment firms and h…

Dig up the fruit trees and sell the land for housing?

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#219

Post by dageshi » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:06 PM UTC

swarnie wrote: post #196

dageshi wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only masochists go near that sub, it's pretty much the most miserable place on the entire internet.

Which one? UK, UKpol, and even AskUK all creep there on occasions.

UK

UKpol is not far off nowadays either, that one didn't used to be so terrible.

Never really read AskUK but I don't doubt it's similar. The only way forward is to keep it casual.

Re: Job vacancies surge past one million in new record

#220

Post by M2Ys4U » Tue, Sep 14, 2021, 3:07 PM UTC

benbojangles wrote: post #199

M2Ys4U wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'd be tackling housing prices. The government has absolutely no desire to do that. Their voter base is predominantly home owners who think of their house as an asset that should only go up in value.

I agree. Also, High streets don't have to 'die' due to excessive rent either, the government could hike taxes on vacant stores 1000% then make possession orders on unpaid premises after 18 months. Then the gov can nationalise shop rents according to reasonable incomes.

I'd advocate for scrapping council tax and business rates, replacing them with a land value tax payable by the freeholder rather than occupant.

I just don't see the current Tory party touching it with a barge pole.