There’s a certain irony to the acronym that is now synonymous with the massive spending cuts announced last week by the Chancellor. In a more buoyant time, not so long ago, CSR was shorthand for Corporate Social Responsibility and doing good in one’s community. Now CSR stands for what the government probably considers its own version of corporate social responsibility, the Comprehensive Spending Review.

We all know about the most tangible layer of slashes that will impact the employment and recruitment markets, ie the almost unfathomable level of public sector job cuts. But it seems unlikely that our leaders considered the impact that, for instance, a nearly 25% increase overall in rail fares over a period of three years will have on commuters who need public transport so that they can earn a living. This is just one example of indirect taxation that doesn’t get tallied into the overall financial burden on the workforce.

Perhaps the need to earn bigger salaries to cover such costs and the coming VAT hike will lead to churn in the job market as people try to wreak out a bit of disposable income. But this won’t be about getting a better job. It will be about survival.

DeeDee
Doke
Editor