At least 600,000 jobs could go in the UK in 2009, according to a report by a personnel managers' professional body.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says even those who escape redundancy face pay freezes.
It says that while total unemployment will not hit three million, the time between New Year and Easter will be the worst for job losses since 1991.
According to official statistics, there were 1.86 million people out of work in the UK in October.
That figure was the highest since 1997, taking the overall unemployment rate to 6%.The CIPD, which represents managers and personnel staff, issued its gloomy forecast a day after children's retailer Adams joined a growing list of well-known chains applying for administration.
Chief economist John Philpott said: "This time last year, in the face of some scepticism, the CIPD warned that 2008 would be the UK's worst year for jobs in a decade.It was, but in retrospect it will be seen as merely the slow-motion prelude to what will be the worst year for jobs in almost two decades.
"The CIPD's annual barometer forecast is that the UK economy will shed at least 600,000 jobs in 2009."Overall, the 18-month period from the start of the recession in mid-2008 until the end of 2009 will witness the loss of around three quarters of a million jobs, equivalent to the total net rise in employment in the preceding three years."
Mr Philpott said job losses were likely to continue into 2010, taking the final toll to about one million.
The CIPD also surveyed 2,600 workers and found that more than one in four did not expect a pay rise next year, while others feared a wage cut.
The institute's reward adviser, Charles Cotton, said employees were "realistic about their pay prospects".
"Against this backdrop, employers will need to work hard to find new ways to motivate their employees to perform," he said.
Financial incentives and targeted investment in training and development could be effective ways to do this, he added.
"More than ever, this is a time where organisations need to engage in an open and straightforward communication with staff, clearly explaining the reasons for any difficult measures that will affect them," he said.
"This will help preserve staff loyalty and engagement even during times when unpopular decisions need to be made." .
How to Save $5000 on Forex Trading Training and Get it Free
Jerusalem, (ANTARA News) - Pesawat-pesawat perang Israel telah menghantam 230 sasaran di Jalur Gaza sejak Sabtu.
"Sebanyak 230 sasaran telah dihantam," kata jurubicara militer Israel seperti dikutip AFP. "Sasaran itu mencakup infrastruktur Hamas seperti gedung, depot senjata dan tempat peluncuran roket."
Israel melancarkan serangan pemboman besar-besarannya terhadap Hamas di Gaza sejak Sabtu pagi. Aksi itu adalah salah satu operasi militer terbesar terhadap wilayah yang mereka rebut dalam perang 1967 itu.
Sedikit-dikitnya 280 warga Palestina tewas dalam serangan gencar itu, sebagian besar dari mereka anggota Hamas, menurut dokter.
Hamas membalas dengan menembakkan puluhan roket ke Israel, yang hanya menewaskan satu orang dan melukai sedikit orang lainnya.(*)
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Forex Trading: Calculating Profit And Loss In Foreign Currency Trading
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The foreign exchange market, or Forex market, is an around-the-clock cash market where the currencies of nations are bought and sold. Forex trading is always done in currency pairs. For example, you buy Euros, paying with U.S. Dollars, or you sell Canadian Dollars for Japanese Yen. The value of your Forex investment increases or decreases because of changes in the currency exchange rate or Forex rate. These changes can occur at any time, and often result from economic and political events. Using a hypothetical Forex investment, this article shows you how to calculate profit and loss in Forex trading.
To understand how the exchange rate can affect the value of your Forex investment, you need to learn how to read a Forex quote. Forex quotes are always expressed in pairs. In the following example, your pair of currencies are the U.S. Dollar (USD) and the Canadian Dollar (CAD). The Forex quote, USD/CAD = 170.50, means that one U.S. Dollar is equal to 170.50 Canadian Dollars. The currency to the left of the "/" (USD in this example) is referred to as base currency and its value is always 1. The currency to the right of the "/" (CAD in this example) is referred to as the counter currency. In this example, one USD can buy 170.50 CAD, because it is the stronger of the two currencies. The U.S. Dollar is regarded as the central currency of the Forex market, and it is always treated as the base currency in any Forex quote where it is one of the pairs.
Let's go now to our hypothetical Forex investment to show how you can profit or come up short in Forex trading. In this example, your pair of currencies are the U.S. Dollar and the Euro. The Forex rate of EUR/USD on August 26, 2003 was 1.0857, which means that one U.S. Dollar was equal to 1.0857 Euros, and was the weaker of the two currencies. If you had bought 1,000 Euros on that date, you would have paid $1,085.70.
One year later, the Forex rate of EUR/USD was 1.2083, which means that the value of the Euro increased in relation to the USD. If you had sold the 1,000 Euros one year later, you would have received $1,208.30, which is $122.60 more than what you had started with one year earlier.
Conversely, if the Forex rate one year later had been EUR/USD = 1.0576, the value of the Euro would have weakened in relation to the U.S. Dollar. If you had sold the 1,000 Euros at this Forex rate, you would have received $1,057.60, which is $28.10 less than what you had started out with one year earlier.
As with stocks and mutual funds, there is risk in Forex trading. The risk results from fluctuations in the currency exchange market. Investments with a low level of risk (for example, long-term government bonds) often have a low return. Investments with a higher level of risk (for example, Forex trading) can have a higher return. To achieve your short-term and long-term financial goals, you need to balance security and risk to the comfort level that works best for you
