Podcasts

In the first of our new series, In My Experience, Simon speaks to Angus Thirlwell, the CEO and co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, to dig a little deeper into his life and career.

The number of young people in the UK who are not in education, employment or training - known as NEETs- has risen. Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the number of 16-24 year olds who are classed as economically inactive between July and September increased by 14,000 from the previous quarter. There are now 857,000 young people out of work, education or training- a total of 11.9%. To find out more about this Simon spoke to labour market expert and director of the consultancy the Jobs Economist, John Philpott.

Borrowing on credit cards grew at its fastest rate in almost 10 years last month. That's according to the latest figures from The British Bankers' Association which found that consumer credit was up 7% year on year in October. To find out more about this Simon was joined by Dr Rebecca Harding chief economist at the BBA.

British workers might not see their pay rise above inflation until 2021. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says it's a "dreadful" prospect that real earnings are likely to remain at their 2008 level until then. The organisation also says the chancellor may need the "wriggle room" he's allowed the economy - because of uncertainty as we leave the EU. Share Radio's Steve Clarke has more.

There was plenty of employment news from the Chancellor's Autumn Statement yesterday. In addition to a raise in the minimum wage Philip Hammond also announced pay for apprentices would rise by 10p an hour. Sue Dougan spoke to David Allison, Founder and CEO of GetMyFirstJob to find out more.

Tomorrow is Carers Rights Day theme this year is knowing your rights. Across the UK, 6.5 million people are carers, supporting a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill. Each year Carers UK bring organisations across the UK together to help carers in their local community know their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to. Sue Dougan is joined on the line by Kayleigh McGrath, Senior Policy Officer at Carers UK, to find out more.

This week is Black Friday. Previous years have seen hordes of shoppers fighting it out for the best bargains. Despite its popularity scenes such as this have made the retail event somewhat controversial. But just what is Black Friday and how does it all work? To find out, our reporter Tom Hill spoke to retail champion Clare Rayner.

Have you ever used your mobile at the wheel? If so, you can cause a massive accident. As part of National Road Safety Awareness Week , Hudgell Solicitors have released images depicting the devastation caused by accidents on the road are being used as part of a new campaign to make drivers think twice before using their mobiles. It's meant to shock and stir emotions in the hope they will be widely shared and discussed. Our reporter Melanie Wray investigated by speaking to Nicola Downey and Tony Carter from Hudgell Solicitors.

It’s National Maintenance Week. And the theme is damp. The build-up of mould is something that all property owners should be thinking about. Left untreated it can cause a range of problems from serious structural damage to health concerns. It can also cost an arm and a leg to sort out, especially if neglected. So, to find out more, Sue Dougan spoke to Kate Griffin, from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.

What did the Chancellor have in store for the housing market in the Autumn statement? Yesterday we heard from Russell Quirk, CEO of eMoov.co.uk, on what he wanted to hear from the Chancellor. But were those expectations met? We also hear from Jeremy Raj from Wedlake Bell's Residential Property Team, for his reaction on Philip Hammond's policies towards the housing market.