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 - Safest Investment During Economic Crisis
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Economic crisis is chocking the market with its strong grip all over the world. The markets are full of uncertainty, banks are unwilling to "defreeze" credits and people panic about their savings. When equities markets turned to risky investments for both financial institutions and individuals, is there any kind of investment that is still considered safe?
Forex trading, in my opinion, is the safest investment option available today. Many financial institutions and traders consider foreign currency holdings as the most secure investment option. When couple of years ago an middle class individual wouldn't even dream about entering Forex market, today private investors enjoy the appealing Forex investment opportunities.
Trading Forex gives everyone a chance to enter the real business world. Assets are fully liquid and the biggest advantage of them all - the ability to trade long or short on the week days, 24 hours a day. Some Forex brokers go even further and offer trading possibilities even when market is closed. Even with a small deposit Forex trader can earn generous amount via leverage options.
Forex trading holds a healthy investing potential for every investor around the world. Of course the draw back of Forex lays in the fact that not many are familiar with the trading environment and not many have time to educate themselves about it. After all, Forex trading requires a lot of learning and practice. When people need investing solutions at the time of uncertainty, learning is the last thing on everyone's mind, no matter how worthy Forex trading is.
Forex trading is not gambling - you cannot simply put a "bet" on two currencies and wait for the results. Well, actually you can do so, but this will result in a very quick loss of your funds. Currency trading is full of technical terms that have to be memorized and fully understood and for new traders this can also be a big minus.
However, I still think that the pain of learning forex trading is worth even second of it. With a professional assistance of Forex broker learning process can safe some time and energy and new forex traders can enjoy the investment opportunities right from their own home.
Another good question is whether financial crisis has or will eventually have any strong impact on Forex brokers? After all, if you start Forex trading, you have to trust your Forex broker to take care of your funds and profits! Is it wise to stop trading at all during economic uncertainty?
My trading motto is "trust, but always check". In my opinion, you can continue trading safely but at the same time the moment your profits reach the "yes-you-can-withdraw" level, you should take the money out. Every time you are done trading, leave no more than $100 in your account just for the save side. That way, even if things go bad, loosing $100 won't sting as much as loosing thousands.
I cannot guarantee anything and I don't know how other traders are handling the economic situation, but I haven't stopped trading (although the spreads and swap rates are outrageous). So far every withdrawal request has been processed without problems and I keep my profits save by withdrawing them every chance I have got! Of course, I loose money because of the withdrawing fees and trading with small amounts isn't too attractive, but at least I am not scared every time I open my trading platform! My heart is free when I have nothing to loose.
Check out more Forex articles, tutorials and Forex brokers reviews at http://www.forexexplore.com
