More on Labour Market Re-Entry

The Board recently released a "Value for Money" Audit (prepared by accounting firm KPMG) of its LMR services. The statistical portrait of the outcome of LMR services in 2007 and 2008 supports the view that the Board is becoming progressively more unrealistic in its expectations of what workers can achieve. The portrait shows that 19.5% fewer workers were found to be unemployable in 2008 than in 2007, but fewer workers were actually working at the end of the plan. Under 50% are actually working at both the 6 month and 18 month point after completion of the plan. With the onset of the deep recession in September, 2008, this decline in employability is what one would expect.

The Audit recommends changes to the legislation, which will have the effect of reducing already low worker benefits. The fairer alternative, of course, is to increase historically low employer assessments.