Podcasts

Self-employment is changing the face of the labour market. Figure released today by the Office for National Statistics found that unemployment in the UK fell slightly to 1.6 million in the three months to October, meaning that the rate of unemployment held steady at 4.8% in the period, remaining at an 11-year low. The trend for more people becoming self-employmed has also continued. The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed says the number of people classed as self-employed has increased by 129,000 to 4.75 million in the three months to November. To discuss the figures, and the growth of self-employment, Simon Rose was joined on the line by Lorence Nye, an economic adviser at IPSE.

European IPO markets are expected to have raised 28bn Euros in 2016. This year has seen a number of political shocks which have contributed to the IPO market ending the year on a subdued note, with total annual proceeds down by approximately a half on 2015. But will the IPO market remain open, with liquidity available for the right companies at the right price? Simon spoke to Lucy Tarleton, director at PwC.

Fast food executive Andrew Pudzer has been nominated as Labor Secretary by President elect Donald Trump, a move that has drawn widespread condemnation from labour unions. But why? That's the question Share Radio's Alexi Phillips put to Geraint Johnes, Professor of Economics at Lancaster University.

It's almost six months since Britain's EU referendum and the exit road from Europe is still paved with uncertainty. Apart from ongoing talk about a hard or soft Brexit, little else is known, unless you count Theresa's May's description of a red, white and blue Brexit as helpful. One person who seems to know what he wants is the Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who has openly talked about a transitional period in the Brexit negotiations. How that played out is anyone's guess, although for now Brexit is not the only game in town. This evening the US Federal Reserve will unveil its latest interest rate decision. The smart money says that Governor Janet Yellen will announce a rise, and anyone interested in how President Elect Donald Trump might react to that should check out his Twitter feed. Let's get the thoughts of Ben Kumar, Investment Manger at 7 Investment Management. For more analysis on these topics and more, Share Radio's Juliette Foster was joined on the line by Ben Kumar, Investment Manger at 7 Investment Management.

The number of inheritance disputes reaching the High Court this year is reported to have reached to a record high. A large part of this is being blamed on changing family make up and the rise in property prices. Share Radio Morning’s Georgie Frost checked into the Careers clinic and spoke in the studio to by Justin Sadler, a partner at Barrett & Co in Reading.

This week Georgie Frost was joined by personal finance writer Sam McFaul from Money Saving Expert. They were looking into an end to fixed energy deals and how a power of attorney can protect you and your loved ones. Plus a roundup of the latest and best deals the team have come across this week.

There is no doubt the pressure is on to spend a lot at this time of the year. But can you really reject the commercial and social pressure and just not buy anything. That's exactly what one blogger did. Our reporter Mary Newman spoke to Emily Hedlund to find out how and why she did this.

Sleep is absolutely fundamental, and can have a serious impact on our health and wellbeing if we don’t have enough. And yet we are one of the worst countries in Europe when it comes to sleep deprivation - in both adults and kids. Indeed 90% of us wake at least once in the night, for a tenth of us it is 5 times or more! Independent sleep practitioner, educator and analyst James Wilson aka The Sleep Geek joined Share Radio Morning’s Georgie Frost to analyse our sleep habits.

Who does the lion's share? Nearly 90% of women say they do most of the Christmas shopping, compared to just 3% of men. Sarah Pennells, founder of the site SavvyWoman.co.uk joined Share Radio Morning’s Georgie Frost on the line to talk about the findings.

Heather Barrie runs a coffee truck at Arundel Station in West Sussex and has been vocal on the strike. She spoke to Share’s Georgie Frost about the problems she’s witnessed so far for commuters and the local economy.