NRG Business Networking - BLACK COUNTRY

1. How to sell your idea. Selling an idea within your organisation is most effective when you have internal supporters. When others back your idea, it reinforces its value. These supporters can offer their time and expertise, as well as help bring in additional advocates. READ MORE

2. Getting people back to work. Since the Covid pandemic, unemployment in the UK has risen from 1 million to 1.5 million. There are also 9.3 million “economically inactive” people – those who are neither in work nor looking for a job – and a record 2.8 million people off work due to long-term sickness. A white paper published yesterday by the Department for Work and Pensions also notes that “the UK is the only major economy that has seen its employment rate fall over the last five years”, which it attributes mainly to the effects of long-term sickness. The Office for Budget Responsibility says this is the single biggest risk to public finances, as spending on sickness benefits is due to top £100 billion by the end of the parliament. The Times

3. Professional services lead UK growth. The professional services sector – covering law, architecture, R&D and consultancy – has led UK economic growth in 2024. It grew 3.9% in the three months to September, compared to 1.3% for the broader economy. Since pre-pandemic levels, the sector’s output has risen 16%, outpacing the UK economy’s 3% growth. Legal services benefit from a global talent pool and the widespread adoption of English law, while architecture saw overseas revenue climb 25% in 2024. Scientific R&D has been the fastest-growing sub-sector. Financial Times

4. The £268bn cost of poor diets. Unhealthy eating is costing the UK a staggering £268bn a year, a study has found. Of that, £92bn is accounted for by direct costs, related to the treatment of type 2 diabetes and other diseases closely linked to poor diet. Most of that (£67bn) is spent by the NHS. Social care for patients adds £14.3bn and welfare payments a further £10.1bn. Indirect costs include £116.4bn in lost productivity, caused by people being unfit to work owing to diet-related conditions. The human cost of pain and early death is estimated at £60bn. The Guardian

5. Should assisted dying be legalised? Assisted dying is a deeply personal and complex issue. With the UK Parliament recently advancing a bill to legalize it under strict safeguards for terminally ill adults, the debate is intensifying. Supporters argue it offers dignity and autonomy to those suffering, while opponents raise ethical, religious, and societal concerns. We want to hear your thoughts on this pivotal issue shaping discussions around personal rights and healthcare policies. Do you support or oppose such assisted dying? VOTE HERE

6. Net migration to UK falls after record high. The latest UK net migration figure, for the 12 months to June 2024, was 728,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. That's a fall from the 12 months to June 2023 - a newly revised figure shows that total was 906,000, far higher than previous estimates. Net migration is the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK, and the number leaving. Because the figures are until June 2024, they are a reflection of policies under the previous Conservative government and are far higher than was promised to voters. BBC

7. How many people use the boats? In 2018, the number was just 299, but since then it has grown exponentially; 2022 saw the highest, with 45,774 registered arrivals. This dipped to 29,437 in 2023, but 2024 had logged 33,500 arrivals by 17 November, so this year will be the second-largest figure. In total, more than 147,000 are known to have arrived in this way (about 80% of all registered irregular arrivals to the UK). At least 250 people are known to have died in the attempt. Five countries dominate numerically among small boat arrivals, making up two-thirds of the total over the past six years: Iran (18.5%); Afghanistan (14.7%); Iraq (13.2%); Albania (12.1%); and Syria (7.6%). Sky News

8. UK adults online longer in 2024. The amount of time the average UK adult spent online this year has jumped by almost an hour over the last year to four hours and 20 minutes each day, according to figures from regulator Ofcom. In 2023, the average UK adult spent three hours and 21 minutes online each day. The Online Nation report shows that 18-24 year olds spent the most time online, racking up six hours and one minute on average each day, and those over 65 spent three hours and 10 minutes online. Meanwhile, one in five UK children aged 8-17 has lied about their age in order to get social media accounts. People are spending most of their time online on services offered by two US tech giants: Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google, and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. TechCrunch

9. Swipe left on digital dating. The top dating apps are suffering falling user numbers for the first time. Tinder lost 600,000 users (5%) in the year to May 2024 while Hinge dropped 131,000 (3%). The change is apparently down to Gen Z and millennials deciding they would rather find love the old-fashioned way: in real life. The Guardian

10. The bottom line. Did you know that in Europe, the average woman buys 30-50 pieces of clothing annually [depending on age, income, and lifestyle] and discards 10-15 items? Even in countries like Denmark, with excellent recycling programmes, 62% of discarded clothing still ends up in landfills - often in the global south. Daily Mail

6. Single women are not so sad. Single women are often stereotyped as sad and desperate for love, but new research shows that single men are more likely to be lovelorn. In a study analyzing 6,000 single people from various countries, women expressed more satisfaction with their lives than men. Women were also less inclined to seek romantic partnerships, possibly because they find more emotional support in platonic relationships or view traditional relationships as unfair due to the unequal distribution of household responsibilities. The Times

7. How universities are funded. The Office for Students predicts that 72% of England's universities may face budget deficits next year. UK higher education providers had a total income of £50 billion in 2022/23, with 52% from tuition fees (43% from international students), 14% from research grants, and 12% from direct government funding. Other income sources include donations and endowments. Funding models vary across the UK due to devolution: in Scotland, the government pays home students' tuition fees; Welsh undergraduates get a minimum maintenance grant; and Northern Ireland caps fees at £4,750. The Independent

8. Word of the year. “Manifest” – to use the power of visualisation to will something into existence – has been chosen by Cambridge Dictionary as its word of 2024. Singer Dua Lipa and gymnast Simone Biles are among those who have said they “manifested” their successes. The Sun

9. Christmas is officially on its way. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree – a 56-year-old, 20-metre Norwegian spruce – has been felled in Norway before starting its journey to London. The Nordic nation has sent a tree every year since 1947 in thanks for Britain’s support during World War Two. BBC

10. The bottom line. The average number of years a person born in the UK can expect to live is 80.9. New data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that the UK had the worst life expectancy in western Europe, almost a year lower than the 81.5-year average across the 27 European Union countries. Switzerland was at the top of the table with an average of 84.2 years. OECD