of grand designs style renovations based near heathrow airport was struggling to cope with a surge in demand for new projects as the economy bounced back from the pandemic. there was no lack of work, but profits were squeezed by the rocketing cost of raw materials and a shortage of skilled staff that sent wages soaring. it s difficult to meet the demand, but there s also less money in the jobs because the cost of labour has risen so much. so we have labourers earning the money which plumbers and carpenters were earning like two and a half, three years ago. but everybody wants the job to be cheaper, because they have no certainty and the market conditions. so we don t have the money in the job to bring new people on board at the higher wage bracket. it was brexit that first caused the skills shortage that forced labourers wages up. but now that s gradually settling down. with official interest rates eight times as high as they were for most of the past 15 years, customers are being put
cheaper because they have no certainty and the market conditions. so we do not have the money in the job to bring new people on board at the higher wage bracket. it was brexit that first caused the skills shortage that forced labourers wages up. but now that is gradually settling down. with official interest rates eight times as high as they were for most of the past 15 years, customers are being put off borrowing more for home improvements. so, in the past, people may take a remortgage, and when they take a remortgage they will take money out of the property and they will do an extension, they will do a basement, they will do a loft. but at the moment, people are looking at the rates and thinking, lending is going to cost me so much more money, i am going to put the project on hold. with more people now seeking work, unemployment has ticked up from 3.7 to 3.8% of the workforce. vacancies dropped by 10,000 but remain high at 1.1 million. and across the economy, employers are paying
the next day we don t have any work on. a year ago, construction companies like this builder of grand design style renovations, based near heathrow airport, were struggling to cope with the surge in demand for new projects as the economy bounced back from the pandemic. there was no lack of work, but profits were squeezed by the rocketing cost of raw materials and the shortage of skilled staff that sent wages soaring. it is difficult to meet demand when there is also less money in the jobs because the cost of labour has risen so much. so we have labourers earning the money which plumbers and carpenters were earning, like, two and a half, three years ago. but everybody wants the job to be cheaper because they have no certainty and the market conditions. so we do not have the money in the job to bring new people on board at the higher wage bracket. it was brexit that first caused the skills shortage that forced labourers wages up. but now that is gradually settling down. with official in
into child sexual abuse, and will be subject to a consultation. the nspcc said the plans were a step in the right direction . paris is holding a referendum today on whether to ban e scooter street rentals. the french capital was one of the first cities to authorise their use, but they ve faced criticism from some who say they re often driven recklessly and clutter the streets. 0ur correspondent hugh schofield has more. i think that the operators, the three of them, are pretty pessimistic about this vote. they know that most people who use e scooters are young, their younger age bracket, and they know that most people who vote tend to be old, and their old on this are the ones who are more, or the older, are the ones who are more incensed about e scooters and are opposed to e scooters. so i think they think that this referendum, so called, is a bit of a gimmick put up by the mayor, who
today on whether to ban e scooter street rentals. the french capital was one of the first cities to authorise their use but they ve faced criticism from some who say they re often driven recklessly and clutter the streets. i m joined now by our correspondent in paris, hugh schofield is there any indication on where public sentiment is on this? it is an unknown public sentiment is on this? it 3 an unknown quantity, but i think the operators, the three of them, are pessimistic about the vote. they know most people who use the e scooters are the younger age bracket and most people who vote the end to tend to be old. and the older are the ones who are more angry about e scooters. so sing they think that this referendum, so called, is a gillick put up by gimmick put up