News

‘The Great Resignation’: almost one in four UK workers planning job change

Almost a quarter of workers are actively planning to change employers in the next few months, a report has claimed, as part of a “great resignation” prompted by a high number of vacancies and burnout caused by the pandemic.

A survey of 6,000 workers by the recruitment firm Randstad UK found that 69% of them were feeling confident about moving to a new role in the next few months, with 24% planning a change within three to six months.

The company said it would normally expect up to 11% of workers to move jobs every year.

It has warned that such a move will have considerable cost implications for employers – as much as £25,000 for each worker – and said it has been advising clients to start looking at whether they needed to improve pay and other conditions to help them retain their best staff.

Victoria Short, CEO at Randstad UK, said some of those looking for new jobs were workers who during the pandemic had stayed in roles they were unhappy with.

She said: “Another factor is burnout. Some teams have been running too hot for too long. The pandemic has changed how some people think about life, work, and what they want out of both. It’s made people step back and rethink their lives. Covid has reminded them that life is too short.”

The research found that only 16% of workers described themselves as worried about trying to get a new job.

Workers currently employed in construction, tech and logistics were all confident they would find new opportunities, with workers in manufacturing being the most confident.

Randstad warned the mass resignations will come at considerable cost to the UK’s private sector. Research carried out by Oxford Economics found that it takes recently hired professional workers 28 weeks to reach optimum productivity – which has an attached cost of £25,200 per employee, it said.

Short added: “The Great Resignation is going to be tricky for those industries that can move workers around. It is going to be very difficult indeed for industries where employees are trying to get out altogether.

A shortage of workers in some industries has led companies to offer signing on bonuses of up to £10,000 to attract recruits, although some surveys have suggested many do not plan to increase wages.

The latest Lloyds Bank Business Barometer, published on Monday, found that 48% of businesses said it had become easier to hire people with the right skills or experience since the end of the furlough scheme.

When asked about wage growth, 43% of firms said they were expecting a 2% increase in average pay over the next 12 months, while 25% anticipated a 3% rise.

Overall, Lloyds said business confidence in October was at its second highest level since March 2020, and that staff shortages suffered in some sectors may be starting to ease.

Hann-Ju Ho, a senior commercial banking economist at Lloyds Bank, said businesses are feeling relatively buoyant and overall business confidence is above the long-term average.

“With 60% of firms saying that they expect to bring all their furloughed staff back to work, and a further 30% intending to bring back more than half, it should bode well for the labour market as we head into the winter.”

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Suspected Boko Haram kill two vigilantes, 10 firewood fetchers in Borno

Two vigilantes and ten firewood fetchers in Bokko Ghide community, Gwoza local government area of Borno state have been killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, the Emir of Gwoza, confirmed the incident, explaining that the vigilantes (Civilian JTF) were ambushed and killed by the assailants along Kirawa road under Pulka District.

He also explained that the 10 other victims were those who went into the bush in search of firewood.

The Emir stated that they (firewood fetches) went to a nearby bush in search of firewood on Saturday when the boys (insurgents) ambushed them and killed ten and left 2 with life threatening injuries.

He said that they buried the 10 and evacuated the injured victims to Maiduguri for medical attention.

According to him, “It’s very sad that two of my Civilian JTF members, who sacrificed their lives for my people, were also killed on Friday.”

He prayed to God to reward their sacrifices and grant them Janatul Firdaus, and give their family and the community the fortitude to bear the loss.

While commending the state government and the military for their relentless effort in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency, he added that they have been doing their best in managing the crisis for over a decade.

He, however, wants the military to deploy technological warfare like drones and other sophisticated weapons to end the crisis.

The Emir observed that the rainy season is about to set in and the people are now scared to visit their farmlands.

The attacks came barely 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent the Minister of Defense, Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and other top military commanders to assess the security situation in Borno State.

The Minister of Defence, had assured that the Federal Government would provide more military support to deal with the security challenges in Borno and the northeast

News

Father and son allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi

A middle-aged man, popularly known as Uncle Light, and his son, Miracle, were allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi State.

The incident happened at Ebebe Junction in Abakaliki on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

It was gathered that the victims were living with a woman who reportedly moved in with the man after divorcing her husband earlier this year.

The woman is suspected of having poisoned the food they ate

Police operatives arrived at the compound with a man who identified himself as the brother of the woman in question.

He told police that his sister was ill and currently in custody.

Another resident, who also pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to talk.

“I heard a loud voice in the middle of the night and I told my wife that something was happening in our neighbourhood. At a point, we thought it was noise from church people doing their programme. It was early in the morning that we saw the son struggling and writhing in pain and came outside the gate,” the source said.

“He was crying for water. A friend provided him with water before he suddenly d!ed. We are suspecting diarrhoea, but it’s for an autopsy to confirm what k!lled him.”

The bodies have been evacuated by the police. (Punch)

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‘We are with you’- Oyebanji assures Ekiti people after heavy rainstorm

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has sympathised with the people of the state over the havoc wreaked by rainstorm in some parts of the state on Saturday.

The storm affected many private and public buildings as well as facilities across the state. However, no life was lost.

Moved by the development, the Governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately commence an assessment of properties that were affected with a view to assisting the victims.

While assuring the people of the state that they would not be left alone at this critical period, Governor Oyebanji urges the people of the state to remain calm and go about their daily activities without any fear, while Government takes inventory of the damaged properties and facilities with a view to responding appropriately.

“We are in it together”, the Governor assures the people in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, and made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday evening.

“The Biodun Oyebanji administration is committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the state and will not leave any stone unturned in providing timely succor to the victims of the rainstorm”, the statement added.