This document provides information for those considering working or living in the United Kingdom. It discusses finding work in the UK job market, which has high unemployment but shortages in certain sectors like healthcare. It also outlines living costs like rent, bills, and a sample grocery shopping basket. Accommodation options and average rental prices are presented, as well as an overview of the UK healthcare system and income tax rates.

1. Living and working in
the United Kingdom

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What do you think of when you think of the UK?
London ?

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London is great but don’t forget the rest!
Edinburgh The Lake District
Belfast Cardiff

4. This presentation is to give you some of the
information you will need to help decide if
working in the UK is the right move for you.
Working in the UK
• Information on finding a job and working conditions
Living in the UK
• Information on the cost of living

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Working in the UK
The job market
Looking for work
Working conditions

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England
London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield,
Newcastle, Bristol, Nottingham
Scotland
Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen
Wales
Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth,
Bangor
Northern Ireland
Belfast, Londonderry/Derry
Population: 62 million
Languages: English, Welsh
Currency: British pound £
The United Kingdom

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• UK unemployment rate 7.7% down 0.1%
• Increase in part-time working, but not through choice
• High youth unemployment - up 35,000 to 742,000
• Economy growing: more people are finding work than losing their job
• But the recovery is slow and fragile (2.47 million unemployed)
• Reduction in UK expenditure will lead to a decline in public sector jobs
• But certain sectors still have shortages (skill shortage occupations)
• Biggest recent changes: Construction jobs ↑ Education jobs ↓
Job MarketThe Job Market

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• Senior care workers
Shortage Occupations
• Skilled chefs
• Social workers
• Electrical Engineers

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• Secondary education science and maths teachers (children 11-16 years old)
• Teachers in special schools
• Doctors (accidents & emergencies)
• Nurses (operating theatres and neonatal intensive care units)
• Pharmacists
• Veterinary surgeons
• Chemical engineers
• Mechanical engineers (electricity generation / transmission / distribution)
• Civil engineers (geotechnical, rock/soil mechanics, tunnelling, petroleum)
• Pipe Welders (high integrity with 3 years experience)
• Butchers and meat cutters (skilled meat trimmer and meat boner)
More Shortage Occupations

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• For UK recognition of qualifications, contact NARIC
• Learning the language – The British Council
• University courses in the UK – Prospects
• To study in the UK at undergraduate / post graduate level you
will need good English language skills
• Internships
Education - qualifications

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• EURES
• Jobsfairs
• UK newspapers (online)
• Company websites
• Private recruitment agencies
• Online agencies / jobsites
• Public employment services
Looking for work

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• Great Britain - Jobcentre Plus
• Northern Ireland - Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)
• Self service kiosks - Jobpoints
Employment services in the UK

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• Curriculum Vitae – C V 2 pages maximum, typed
• Create a CV to match the job
• Typed Application letter (covering letter)
• Company application forms (sometimes online)
• Interviews – it depends on the job applied for
Job application process

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• National Minimum Wage: £5.93 per hour
• Holiday entitlement 25 days +
• Verbal / Written contracts
• Equality Act 2010
Employment Law

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Needed to pay social security contributions in the UK
Apply just before or as soon as you start work
• 11 % deducted from earnings between £110 - £844 plus
• 1 % of earnings above £844 per week
Self employed people pay their own
National Insurance contributions
National Insurance Number

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• Basic rate: 20% £0 - £37,400
• Higher rate: 40% £37,401 - £150,000
• Additional rate: 50% Over £150,000
• Self employed people pay their own tax
Income Tax

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Example pay slip for the average UK salary

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Living in the UK
Accommodation
Healthcare
Cost of living

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What might be the worst thing about living in the UK?
the weather ?

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Average monthly rental charges:
• Apartments/Flats: £450 - £600 = (€513-684)
• Houses: £500 - £800 = (€570 - £912)
• Rooms: £200 - £350 = (€228 - £399)
Deposit + 1 month’s rent in advance
Council Tax – local tax on accommodation
Bills– water, gas, electricity & telephone
Living in the UK
Accommodation

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Cost of living – what UK households spend their money on

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• Bread (800 grams) £1.00 ↑ € 1.14
• Butter £1.30 ↑ € 1.48
• Eggs (6 large free range) £1.61 ↑ € 1.83
• Milk, 2.24 litres (4 pints) £1.25 € 1.43
• Pint of beer (568ml) £3.00 € 3.42
• Cigarettes £6.00 € 6.84
• Cinema ticket £6.00 € 6.84
• Bus £1.50 € 1.71
• Petrol, 1 litre £1.13 € 1.28
• 1 pound = 1.14 euro
• 1 euro = 88 pence
Living expenses
Cost of living – UK shopping basket