EDITION 891
18 OCTOBER 2021

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to restart your career. One of the most common questions we get from job seekers is how to discuss and overcome gaps in a person’s career. Getting back into the workforce can be difficult after months or years away, but it’s possible! An increasing number of companies are recognising the value of hiring people who are restarting their careers. Some of our clients are even launching programmes to help these people get back up to speed. READ MORE >>

2. The world’s running low on everything. From microchips to workers to fuel, the world is running short on just about everything. Part of this can be attributed to the pandemic. To prop up economies during the crisis, governments worldwide doled out $10.4 trillion in stimulus funds. That stimulus boosted consumer spending, but the global supply chain wasn't equipped to meet demand. Meanwhile, rising trade tensions in recent years have further strained the movement of goods. This will not last forever. Stimulus funds will taper and spending patterns will shift. But for now, we're in a difficult game of global catch up. The Economist

3. Rates rise to halt house prices. A rise in interest rates could bring house price increases to a halt and spark turmoil in government finances around the world, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and UBS. After studying 25 major cities around the world, UBS found that increases to interest rates would “rapidly dampen frothy global property markets”. In a separate report, the IMF said a rise in interest rates “would put pressure on financing conditions”. The Telegraph

4. Covid’s impact on mental health. A study shows how widespread the impact of the pandemic has been on the world's mental health. Across 204 countries, cases of major depressive disorder and severe anxiety have increased by more than a quarter since 2019, with women and younger adults more likely to deal with these issues. Frontline workers have also faced higher levels of burnout, and there are not enough behavioural health professionals to meet the demand. But there is also reason for optimism, the WHO says, as more countries invest in mental health services. The Lancet

5. Work-life balance over bank balance? Traditionally, being ambitious meant climbing the career ladder, getting promotions and pay rises and a bigger office. But some are equating the definition of success, if you consider that the end game of ambition, to be more about finding balance and contentment with your work life, prioritising wellbeing over wealth or perhaps changing careers entirely for something less stressful. Has your idea of ambition changed amid the pandemic? VOTE HERE >>

6. Poll finds ‘levelling-up’ scepticism. Only 28% of voters believe Boris Johnson is sincere in his much-repeated aim of spreading prosperity to disadvantaged corners of the UK, a new poll has found. The Savanta ComRes study also found that scepticism about his pronouncements strongest in the northern and Midlands areas that he has promised to help. Just 10% of respondents believed that the “levelling up” project could be concluded within a five-year timescale. The Independent

7. Who benefits most from having a mentor? Conventional wisdom holds that a successful career includes having a mentor, but not all mentoring programmes are made equal. A working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that between optional and mandatory programmes, the latter had an "outsize effect" on participants. That's likely because they engaged workers who may have opted out with "the company’s weakest performers [benefitting] the most from being mentored." READ MORE >>

8. Fertility rate drops. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed the fertility rate in England and Wales fell to 1.58 children per woman last year – the lowest since records began in 1938. The current rate is 4.2% lower than in 2019. The ONS said improved access to contraception and the cost of raising children could be reasons for the decline, but the British Pregnancy Advisory Service also blamed financial uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic. Evening Standard

9. Private tutoring on the rise. Private tutoring experienced a high tide during the pandemic as parents globally paid for extra lessons to keep their children from falling behind. This boom in shadow education outside state schools may not be temporary. The industry was already on the rise before the pandemic complicated education programmes worldwide, but as schools reopen tutors have stuck around. Online learning and a growing contingent of private tutors has made one-on-one teaching more affordable. At the same time, the author warns that private tutoring could widen inequality and potentially undermine the education system. The Economist

10. The bottom line. Core state school funding per pupil in England has fallen 9% in real terms since 2009-2010. In the same period, private school fees have gone up 20% on average. Daily Telegraph