July

"The number of people out of work in the UK fell to a five-year low in the three months to the end of March, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that unemployment fell by 133,000 to 2.2m, taking the jobless rate to 6.8%, the lowest since 2009. The number of people in work rose to 30.43m, the highest since records began in 1971. The number of vacancies in the economy is at its highest since the spring of 2008. Minister for employment Esther McVey said, ""As the recovery takes hold, more people are able to get a job or set up their own business and become the employers of tomorrow."" "

"Lawmakers and police agencies are being urged to tighten regulation of criminal background checks to prevent the disclosure of irrelevant and potentially reputation-shattering personal information. Canadians are routinely denied jobs or volunteer positions over unfounded allegations, suicide attempts, and charges that were later withdrawn, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association says in a report released over the weekend. A ""patchwork"" of privacy and human rights legislation across Canada means protection against employment discrimination isn't guaranteed, the report said."

"A ""catastrophic"" backlog in Toronto police background checks for students, health professionals and other workers could grow worse if the RCMP makes fingerprinting a mandatory part of the process. The Toronto Police Services Board is grappling with how to manage the 200 new requests for checks received each day, contributing to a backlog that peaked at almost 17,000 requests last year. Waiting times for a check can stretch for months. Last year, Toronto police received more than 108,000 requests for the two types of checks they provide: clearance letter and vulnerable sector screening (VSS). For employment fields that require a valid VSS issued within six months, some checks have expired by the time they are needed."