The number of jobs created and lost is a clear economic indicator of the success of an economy and has a huge bearing on the prosperity of both individuals and the nation at large. During the recession employment rates in Britain fell quite significantly, however have since started to slowly recover...
Interestingly, some demographics of society have faired better at gaining employment than others. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development it would seem that the largest discrepancy or job gap has occurred among the middle aged and women.
Despite the fact that around 350,000 jobs have been created this year, it would appear that those in their 40's and 50's have not benefited from the surge of additional opportunities compared to other demographics. Additionally, it would appear that the popular song 'It's A Man's World' may hold true in this context as the CIPD report that around 80% of new jobs went to men. What is particularly interesting is that a separate report compiled by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, found that there has been a jump in bankruptcies amongst middle aged women between 2008 and 2009. This corresponds with the two most adversely impacted demographics when it comes to the new employment figures.
The real winners it would seem are those under 35 as they have claimed around 60% of the new jobs. In second position are those who are over 50 as they have gained around a third of the new jobs available. It would therefore seem like there are some real winners and losers in the employment statistics in the UK, which will be a comfort to some and a worry to others.