Good news everyone!

| UK jobless total falls, it says here.

Just because it's nice to have some good news occasionally, and show that the people running the economy (insofar as you can run an economy) are doing a reasonable job:

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the number of people out of work in the three months to May fell by 20,000 on the previous quarter to 1,474,000, bringing the unemployment rate down to 5%.

Average earnings increased by 3.4% in the three months to May, up from April's figure of 3.2%.

The data also showed that the number of jobs in the economy grew by 101,000 to a new record of 27.91 million people.

However, the ONS also showed the number of people out of work and claiming benefit rose by 1,700 last month to 952,000.

Brotherly competition

Hugh works at the Royal Bank of Scotland, I work at Standard Life.

This was in the newspaper clippings this morning:

Edinburgh Evening News (p1) reports that the Royal Bank of Scotland is on the verge of entering the world's top 100 companies. While the Royal Bank is placed at 102, Standard Life is placed on the list at 196th.

Going out with me

If you're interested in what I'm like to go out with (along with various other musings from the mind of Erin), wander over here.

All volunteers to the usual address :->

(no subject)

Prime minister's questions is a weekly occurence in the house of Commons, giving MPs the chance to ask the Prime Minister questions on pretty much any topic.

The report is, as usual, fairly amusing.