18 February 2022 InfoNOW News

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A drop of nearly 600,000 older people in the labour market since pre-pandemic continues

This week’s Labour Market Statistics, covering October to December 2021 demonstrate that older people are leaving employment early:

• overall there are now just under 1.1 unemployed people per vacancy, the lowest figure in at least fifty years, and a quarter of its peak in mid-2020 when there were more than four unemployed per vacancy.
• A key driver of this is fewer older people in work.  Economic inactivity among people aged over 50 has grown by 560 thousand since the crisis began, now accounting for 80% of the total growth in inactivity
• the main reason for rising economic inactivity is now long-term ill health – which has now overtaken students as being the most common reason for not looking for work or being available for work.
• new data on disability employment also shows that the employment ‘gap’ for disabled people has risen during the pandemic and now stands at 29 percentage points.  This means that disabled people are two and half times more likely to be out of work than non-disabled people.
• The Bank of England forecasts that real wages will fall by £50 a month, on average, in 2022.
• Black and minority ethnic (BME) unemployment rates are still more than twice as bad as the rates for white workers.
• Over 1 million workers are now on zero-hours contracts – a rise of 40,000 over the year.

Spotlight on

Cervical screening campaign

On 14th February 2022, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), with the support of NHS England and NHS Improvement, are launching a Help Us Help You – Cervical Screening Campaign, to highlight the benefits of cervical screening and remind people that that it can help stop cancer before it starts. The campaign encourages those eligible for screening – women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 – to respond to their cervical screening invitation letters and to book an appointment at their GP practice if they missed their last one.

They would like help to spread the word to  to ethnic minority (Black and South Asian) and LGBTQ+ people with a cervix, as these groups can experience specific barriers to taking up screening, but would benefit.

InformationNOW has an article on cancer and screening

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has materials, videos and links on HPV and cervical cancer screening and treatment.  HPV is a high risk indicator of cervical, genital, vaginal and head and neck cancers.

#CervicalCancerPreventionWeek

World Encephalitis Day, 22 February 2022

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain.  It is caused by an infection or through the immune system attacking the brain. Anyone can be affected by encephalitis, irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity.  It’s more common in many countries than motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, bacterial meningitis and cerebral palsy.  Survivors are often left with an acquired brain injury and life changing circumstances.  The Encephalitis Society are asking you to:

Go #Red4WED on World Encephalitis Day.  Wear something red and share photographs on their social media accounts.

BrainWalk – Why not join their BrainWalk fundraising challenge and walk, jog, or run as many steps as you can during February?

Why not sign up to one of their online events.   InformationNOW has an article on: support groups

World pulses day, 10 February 2022

The British Nutrition Foundation is a great source of information about nutrition and diet.  This month they have been keen to remind people how important pulses are in our diet and what the nutritional benefits are.  Adding pulses or plant based items doesn’t make you a vegetarian, but it does mean you change your pattern of eating to emphasise and increase plant based choices.

Pulses are the dry, edible seeds of plants in the legume family; beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas are the most common pulses produced in the world.

Pulses are an excellent source of protein, fibre, vitamins and other key nutrients, easy to cook and very versatile. They can be used from starters to desserts as a healthy nutritious ingredient  and make your meals more exciting and varied.  A great way to help contribute towards a healthier way of living. Increasing your fibre is great for your gut health and there is research that links your happiness and wellbeing to gut health.

A healthy gut ensures that the food you eat is broken down efficiently so that your body can absorb and use the nutrients derived from your meal. An inefficient digestive process will result in the food lingering for too long in the gut, allowing it to fester and give off gases that lead to uncomfortable IBS symptoms like bloating, stomach cramps and reflux.

Top tip: as you add more beans and pulses to your meals, also increase the amount of water you drink, to help your gut handle the increase in fibre. Exercise also helps improve your gut function.

The food you eat has a huge impact on your health. A well-balanced, nutritious diet can help to prevent many illnesses and improve some existing health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. It can  lower your chances of developing heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

InformationNOW has an article on: 10 tips for good health; healthy eating and drinking

Look out for #HealthyEatingWeek from 13 to 17 June 2022.

Taking out insurance

The Covid Age, 2 years of lockdown

The project explores growing up and growing older during a pandemic, and the impact this has had on various communities around Newcastle.

InformationNOW has articles on: coronavirus information

What’s new on InformationNOW this week

Articles Updated
Insurance
Looking for a job or work
Support to prepare for a job or work
Families and Relationships
Domestic Abuse

Organisations Updated
MoneyHelper
The Good Care Group
Citizen’s Advice Newcastle
Karbon Homes
Halo Break the Silence Project
North East Law Centre

Last updated: September 23, 2022