Daily Brief – European Job Vacancies

European Job Vacancies

Here’s a chart which made us sit up and reflect on how things differ across the larger European economies. Looking at job vacancies in 2020 at the time of the pandemic versus today, France and Germany have approximately 15% more jobs on offer whereas Spain has 53% more and Italy a stonking 68% more. Cynics might say that Spain and Italy started from a low post pandemic point but that would not be fair in the case of Spain where the economy has performed especially strongly in the past 2 years. The UK on the other hand has seen a decline of 20% in job vacancies in the same period. Successive anti business measures, changes in employment law and tax increases do have a real impact as Chancellor Reeves is now (maybe) starting to discover. But for those looking for jobs in the UK, there are far fewer jobs in the UK and across the EU there are 10 million people looking so there’s more than a lot of competition for European jobs.

EUR/USD 1.1716.

Weirdly Happy

The 50 happiest countries in the world appeared last week on the socials in one of those tables that we try not to look at but inevitably are drawn towards. Firstly, it should be said that of the top 50 happy countries, the range between the very happiest and the least happy is 25%, so we are talking about apparently minute differences between those 50 countries. Quite a few posts about Singapore which comes in at Number 34 with many people questioning how that could possibly be correct given Singapore’s top of the table status in the GDP per capita stakes. Hmmm. Weirdly, of the 7 very happiest countries, 5 are the Nordics: Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway. All that Nordic Noir literature, miserable Bergmanesque film, lack of winter sunlight, and proclivity to sink industrial quantities of alcohol all add up to making the Nordic countries terribly happy. Go figure.

EUR/GBP 0.8764.

Blaina

In the town of Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, Wales some people are just not getting it: people do actually mostly like Christmas and celebrate the festival by putting up decorations and lights for all to enjoy. And that was what the council did in Blaina, except someone stole 70 meters of those lights last week from St Peter’s Church. Gwent’s finest are on the case and may well identify the culprit(s) since the ConnectPro brand of lights which these were, is not generally available for sale. More likely it will come down to Neighbourhood Watch spotting some saddo with their 1 meter Christmas tree festooned with 70 meters of lights. 

EUR/JPY 184.28.

UK Climate

Here’s something to warm up our UK readers with this news from the UK’s Met Office: look forward to the prospect of the warmest year in 2026 since 1850 with temperatures rising by an average of 1.4c globally. Readers may be getting more use out of their BBQ’s next year but spare us the wife beaters and the budgie smugglers (please!).

GBP/USD 1.3370.

Joe Le Taxi

This day in 1972 marked the birth of Vanessa Paradis, who precociously took the charts by storm at the ridiculously young age of 14 with the sultry beat of Joe Le Taxi. Describing herself as a model, singer and actress, VP has had a long and successful career. The B side in case you are interested is Varvara Pavlovna – no me neither.

Barbesse
Bienvenue chez Joe

Joe le taxi, il va pas partout
Il marche pas au soda
Son saxo jaune
Connaît toutes les rues par cœur
Tous les petits bars
Tous les coins noirs

Et la Seine
Et ses ponts qui brillent
Dans sa caisse
La musique à Joe
C’est la rumba
Le vieux rock au mambo

Joe le taxi
C’est sa vie
Le rhum au mambo
Embouteillage
Il est comme ça

Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder

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