Not a political point but lets do a poll who feels better off

in what sense?
im making more money than ever, but am working long hours! im also spending more on motorsport.so i feel better off

I work very hard and as it happens I am a little better off than I was.

I quit my job and went back to uni so i'm feeling very poor haha

I'm doing ok. Lol

I'm guessing this is driven by the coalition saying we're better off in real terms?

Personally I think I'm worse off, my pay hasn't budged and neither has some expenses, but petrol, electric, gas, sky etc have all gone up.

It all depends. The company I work for has given all of the staff a 2% pay rise every year through the recession. Others in the same industry have taken the opportunity to cut wages, increase hours when they had no need to do so.
There are many employers who have used this to keep their costs down whilst pleding poverty.
The reality is that a lot of people if they work it out, taking into account the record low mortgage costs for the last few years are much better off.

The ones right at the bottom on zero hour contracts are no worse off.

I've had a wage increase but only 3% but everything else has got far more expensive plus my wife has lost all her overtime so we are much worse off than before the recession.

Definitely better off.

I left my "permanent" job in March 2011 after 4 years of pay freezes and several rounds of layoffs and started my own IT consultancy. After a very rocky start when my first client ran out of money and didn't pay me for a few months, I found a new client and have been there full time for over 2 years as a contractor.

During that time, my original employer has been acquired twice and has shed even more staff so I am in no doubt I made the right move. I have had to work long hours and commute up to 600 miles a week but I'm happier and earning significantly more than I was with my previous employer.

Working for yourself changes your attitude towards work because you can see the full picture from client through revenue, expenses and profits. You can directly equate client happiness and your hard work to future income and security without the big corporate machine in the middle.

Regarding the government's comments, I think it's about time we collectively started talking up the growth we are starting to see rather than allow the media and opposition to talk it down. Regardless of one's political persuasion, we are inclined as a nation to allow the media to dictate to us how good or bad things are, whether it is weather or employment or health. There are definitely signs of growth in the UK economy and if that is inconvenient to the opposition, who I'm sure would prefer that the picture was less rosy leading up to the next general election, then so be it. The UK is more important than party politics and we need a period of stability to strengthen our position in Europe and the rest of the world. For the media, it is often a case of "good news is no news" so they are also inclined to perpetuate doom and gloom.

I think the focus on increasing employment in the last few years will really start to bear fruit in the next few years as the economic clouds lift and employers can start increasing wages again. At the same time there are fewer claiming benefits which lessens the burden on the state. I'm sure there are people out there who are having a tough time and I encourage them to look for opportunities and keep working at it.

C.

[Edited on 24/1/2014 by craig1410]

I'm paid 3k a year less than my co-worker for doing the exact same job(and theres nothing I can do about it), so I guess I am peed off and worse off

I'm a Civil Servant
Its generally considered I do not deserve pay
Or a pension
I have received 1% this year after a pay freeze since 2010
My pension contributions have gone up by 6%
But I do still have a job after 60% of my colleagues lost theirs
So better off is relative
I earn less due to no pay rises and no overtime to the extent that I earn less than I did 10 years ago
I'm to far into the pension scene to leave

WORSE OFF

I still have a job and in my environment with a less than 50/50 chance of keeping a job

IM BETTER OFF

I do hope that the financial position of this country, the European community, the USA and the rest of world picks up as in the end it's the only way all of us will have a bit more in our pockets

Ive run my own business since 1981 and the past few years have been the toughest Ive known.
As said earlier the media seem to run the economy now and they revel in bad news, I wish they would keep their gobs shut.
My main business supplies business and I think they are still lacking in confidence, the other factor nowadays is that management seems to think its more important to drive around in a new Beemer than to invest in kit to make their business more productive.
Cheers,
Bob

I'm better off now, in comparison to the beginning of the recent economic collapse. Back then the company I contracted for folded owing me money, I had two employees I couldn't afford to pay and ran up debts in the process. Now I have more work than I can get through, and improved income. Equally, my bills don't seem too bad. With the recent improvement in the economy I feel confident now that my future income is secure. Still big hurdles in the long term but we shall see what shall be.

Worse off. No pay rise for years, doubled workload, colleagues being made redundant last year, this year and next year.

Time for this I think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo


Andi

Into 7th year with no pay increase. Overtime reduced to almost zero. Lost 5k in earnings from 5 years ago. Only increase is less tax paid . feel undervalued but not worse off as such. Minimum wage earners catching me up as a skilled person which sucks

quote:

---

Originally posted by splitrivet
As said earlier the media seem to run the economy now and they revel in bad news, I wish they would keep their gobs shut.

---

i also work for myself iv had to cut prices to keep up with everyone else at xmas i heard of 3 more people setting up in my area so finally im calling time at the bar im keeping a few little contracts going but im going to work for someone else.
will i be better off? money wise prob not health and family wise 100% my mrs had to take on extra hours at her job and this means we pass each other on way in and out.

Definitely better off, but that's down to career progression and the wife completing her teacher training and so now earning 50% more than she did before.

Better on the whole, after my employer went bust in 2011 and a group of us bought what was left of the business. Restructuring the company and working like a dog has made it profitable.

What it has done is made me realise nothing us certain and you make your own way.

I'm probably slightly better off, but not by lots. We have been lucky to have a pay rise every year (although only around 2-3%), should find out next week what is on the table for this year, and if there is any bonus payment. I've worked hard outside of my full time job to assist my wife helping her to build her own small business, but it's difficult.

Way better off now ....Got rid of a stupid with its equally stupid jnr
Got health back, got a life back, got real happiness back
and the penny pot is is going to fill nicely shortly once some old crap is paid

Granted its a bit drastic but they made the decision to do what they did so yes Im better off