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There's a real logic to maintaining economic dynamism throughout the broad span of adult life: our commentary today picks up on recent reports in The Times on the extent to which parents and grandparents help out, on the value of incentivising young people to build early experience in the workplace, and how fresh ideas and opportunities can bring new potential for those of more mature years. If you don't use it, you'll lose it, body and mind: and we shouldn't get too fixated on retirement! Background music: 'Everything Has a Beginning' by Joel Cummins

Adam Cox is joined by Ria Kalsi, Founder of Matriarch, to discuss why companies which place emphasis on their diversity and inclusion generate up to 30% higher revenue per employee. They look at how racial inclusion benefits people, and why it is still something society still struggles with. www.mtrrch.com

The huge take-up of ChatGPT over recent weeks has brought the challenge of Artificial Intelligence into sharp relief. As the Chief Executive of its creator, OpenAI, said in one of his blogs, 'Artificial Intelligence will bring unimaginable wealth but, unless something changes, most of us will get none of it. We need a radical solution'. Conventional wisdom sees Universal Basic Income as the way through this dilemma, but this will only bring us more state intermediation and human subservience. We can put forward a better solution, by enabling all to share in the wealth that technology brings and to play their part in its future governance. Background music: 'Digital Solitude' by Silent Partner

If you’re currently aged between 43 and 59, start watching the news carefully: the chances are that the Government has you firmly in its sights. Of course there's much talk of getting you back to work, if you're one of the 'economically inactive' following the pandemic — but they also have it in mind to make you wait a couple of years longer before your pension can start. For every downside there is, of course, an upside: but that flows 100% to the Government, since HM Treasury would see a windfall of c. £10 billion pa. Be prepared to roll your sleeves up, unless you can master new technologies! Background music: 'Officer of the Day March' by the United States Marine Band

Adam Cox is joined by Johnny Nash, Managing Director of FORTE ICT, to discuss why 85% of Brits are currently unhappy with their job, and why this doesn't have to be the case. They look at how to keep positive in a difficult job market, and what applicants can do to make themselves more employable. https://www.johnnynash.coach/

Liz Truss and Kwazi Kwarteng could have done with the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee report 'Where have all the workers gone?' to supplement our commentary on 26th September 'Workforce Capacity is the Missing Link'. It was, however, published a couple of working days before Christmas, and it prompted us to consider again what's happened to the more than half a million people who are not employed and not claiming benefits. So, supported with evidence from the excellent Oldie magazine, we offer a few thoughts on a wide variety of enterprising activity that these older folk could be doing — and we round off this episode with a further suggestion for entrepreneurial activity which the Government might support in due course. Background music: '64 Sundays' by Twin Musicom, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

First we had the great resignation and now we may be seeing a new trend emerge 'unretirement'. Amid the turmoil of the pandemic, Britain's economy threw up the puzzle of a dramatic rise in economic inactivity - as about 565,000 people dropped out of the workforce to a position where they were neither working nor looking for work. These missing workers aren't claiming unemployment benefits but are somehow getting by under their own steam. The phenonomen is great enough that the ONS and Bank of England have looked into it and an inquiry by a House of Lords committee says that early retirement among those aged 50 to 64 may be the main driver of the trend. But there are also tentative signs of some of these people 'unretiring', so what is going on? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert delve into the issue. Why do people want to take early retirement, why may some now be returning to work — and what would tempt more back to boost productivity and the economy? Plus, the team look at the stock market winners and losers of 2022 — and why the FTSE 100 managed to keep its head while other major markets suffered. Also on the agenda are log burners: can they really be cheaper than your central heating or are they just a feature for the home? And finally, used car prices have continued to defy the usual way of things and rise again this year, is that now coming to an end and what were the models that rose the most in value over 2022?

Adam Cox is joined by Professor Sir Cary Cooper and Dr Jorge Palacios, to discuss new research from SilverCloud Health which reveals how employees' mental health has been impacted post-pandemic. They look at the key factors that are detrimental to mental health, and how employers can improve their workers' mental health. https://www.silvercloudhealth.com/uk

Adam Cox is joined by Stephen Henry, co-founder of Positive Planet, to discuss the brand's new research which demonstrated how many small businesses are struggling to reduce their emissions, and why this is so. They look at the help needed for these companies to make a difference, in addition to the advantages of going green. https://positiveplanet.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by Amanda Rosewarne, CEO and CO-Founder of The CPD Standards Office, to discuss why they think terms such as "quiet quitting" and "the great resignation" are popping up so much in the media. She explains how the CPD Institute can help, and what the options are out there for people looking to gain skills for their current and future job. https://www.cpdstandards.com/