Latest news with #AlexLawrence
Boston Globe
29-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
As federal layoffs shake up the public sector workforce, displaced workers look to Boston
In the first quarter of 2025, the city received an all-time high of 39,111 applications, a 60 percent jump from the first quarter of 2024. The largest increase has been in budgeting, procurement, and finance positions, roles that are the closest match to many of the shuttered federal positions, said the city's chief people officer, Alex Lawrence. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Despite the chaos and confusion playing out, [it's] a real opportunity for the state and local governments across Massachusetts to capture some of this A-plus public sector talent,' said Caitlin Lewis, executive director of Work For America. The nonprofit runs Civic Match, a job portal for state and local government jobs. Advertisement The uncertainty and instability in Washington have led many former federal employees to rethink what they're looking for in their next job. For many, this means a new perspective on making the move to a local- or state-level role, which before would have seemed like a step down from federal work. Boston's local government has been particularly visible at a national level, in part thanks to Advertisement 'People are excited about working in a local government where they see a strong leader who is willing to stand up for what she believes in,' said Lawrence. 'I think that resonates with a lot of people.' Anyone looking to move from a federal job to a public-sector role in Massachusetts, though, will likely have to contend with some of the same economic and political factors playing out on the federal level. Boston is grappling with a budget shortfall spurred by a post-COVID drop in commercial property values — clouding the long-term prospects for employment here. Meanwhile, the state government is in the midst of a The state government is in the midst of a hiring freeze instituted over what Governor Maura Healey's office has described as 'widespread economic uncertainty at the national level.' Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff But if you want to work in a government job in the US, Boston remains one of the best places to look. Lewis, of Work for America, said the Civic Match platform has seen about 20 percent of its 9,000 job seekers narrow their search to Massachusetts. Only about 2 percent of those people currently live here, she said. More than 80 percent of those looking to work in New England on the platform live outside the region. The City of Boston is one of the most active of the 200 cities Civic Match partners with, said Lewis. State and local governments often struggle to hire for some of their most crucial roles, she said. The influx of new job-seekers as a result of federal layoffs gives them a chance to fill these roles with quality, driven candidates, many of whom have decades of experience at some of the country's largest federal agencies, said Lewis. Advertisement The City of Boston has now received more applications than the number of vacant positions it has, which is not usually the case, said Lawrence. She has also seen that more people, especially those who were laid off with little notice, are open to more drastic career changes to get a paycheck coming in again. 'It is tougher and more competitive than it has been,' said Lawrence. 'We still have a few places that we have very specific challenges filling positions, but it's much less significant than it was a few years ago.' After taking a buyout from her job as a senior project manager at the Department of Homeland Security, Alexandra Tobolsky and her husband, who worked for the federal government as a contractor, are considering Massachusetts for their next personal and professional chapters. As the couple looks to become first-time homeowners in their next move from Maryland, somewhere with work opportunities for both of them, a strong, diverse community, a mix of city life and nature, and responsible leadership are all on the wish list, all factors that led them to strongly consider Boston. 'We're looking for where can we build a good life for ourselves, especially not knowing what the next few years are going to hold on multiple levels, and where can we find somewhere that we can still enjoy our lives and feel confident in state and local government looking out for our best interests,' said Tobolsky. Advertisement Boston's cost of living is often cited as a reason that people move away from — rather than into — the region, but Washington is one of the few cities that stacks up relatively well. Someone making $100,000 in the Capitol region would need to make roughly $102,000 to have a similar standard of living here, according to the personal finance website People who spoke to the Globe about their job search also cited the rapid changes in the work culture of official Washington amid the Trump administration's recent moves to downsize the government as a reason they were ready to relocate to more liberal-minded Massachusetts. Tobolsky described daily uncertainty at work: After taking a buyout from her job as a senior project manager at the Department of Homeland Security, Alexandra Tobolsky and her husband, who also worked for the federal government as a contractor, are considering Massachusetts for their next personal and professional chapters. VALERIE PLESCH/NYT 'All of it just felt very hard to process, while continuing to do good work,' said Tobolsky. With jobs frozen at the state level, the Healey administration is adjusting its tack on attracting workers. The state launched a website in March to promote opportunities in Massachusetts for federal workers, including more than 160,000 job postings in the private sector and in local government. Massachusetts officials also began hosting weekly virtual information sessions in April to share unemployment and hiring resources with laid-off federal workers. 'We encourage people from across the country and the world, including those who have been laid off by President Trump, to explore the incredible employment opportunities offered by our businesses and to consider moving to and building your future here in Massachusetts,' a spokesperson for the state's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said in a statement. Advertisement Before being laid off, Maura Miller loved her job at the United States Agency for International Development, where she worked for a decade based in Alexandria, Va. Now, she is searching somewhere new to take her skills to and leave federal uncertainty behind. 'If we're able to move, it would be to Massachusetts,' Miller said. Miller, who emphasized she was speaking only for herself, said she believes in the elected leadership in Massachusetts and would like to be a part of the work being done here, including in housing and education. 'I don't want to move somewhere that's then going to have to make cuts that I would be impacted by again immediately,' she said. 'But my passion for public service has not changed.' Maren Halpin can be reached at
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Suffolk man calls for paid student nursing placements
The father of a student nurse said he was "blissfully ignorant" trainees were not paid for their NHS placements and has launched a petition. Alex Lawrence, from Eye, Suffolk, has called for the abolishment of student nursing university fees and unpaid placements after his daughter, Tabatha, started her Prinsley, the Labour MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, previously worked in the NHS for 30 years and said he agreed with the petition.A government spokesperson said nurses played a "critical role" and there was a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 available to help with their student placements. As part of nursing degrees, students have to complete 2,300 hours of clinical placements that are unpaid while also paying for their tuition fees."If you've got the support of a family that don't charge you keep, you don't have to pay rent, maybe [who] make sure you get there every day, that's absolutely lovely," Mr Lawrence, whose petition has more than 6,200 signatures, said."But I do worry dearly about all the people out there that aren't quite as lucky, that might be fantastic nurses, doctors and dentists, but because of the financial implications will never get the chance," he added. Mr Lawrence added he felt the non-repayable grant available to student nurses "barely" helped. Prinsley said he agreed with Mr Lawrence that nurses were "essential" and he would sign the petition. "If somebody asks me, 'Who looks after the patients?', I always say it is the nurses," he said."I agree with them that they certainly shouldn't be doing this for nothing."I think the whole thing really merits review." Melanie McAteer, Suffolk's senior officer for Royal College of Nursing, said there had been a 35% drop in students applying for nursing degrees since 2021, and 21% of students drop out of the course each year."We know that nursing students have shocking experiences of being unable to afford food, being homeless and facing uncertain employment after qualifying," she added.A spokesperson for the University of Suffolk said its applications for 2025 entry to undergraduate adult nursing were 3% lower compared with the same point last spokesperson added applications for children's nursing were higher and it had seen an uptake in nursing apprenticeships."Nurses play a critical role in providing high-quality, compassionate and safe care, as well as helping to restore our world-class NHS system, as part of our Plan for Change," a government spokesperson said."Eligible nurses receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per academic year from the NHS through the Learning Support Fund, in addition to maintenance and tuition fee loans provided by the Student Loans Company." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Scotsman
03-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
MUP Scotland: 'No impact' on consumption or take-up of low alcohol products under price hike
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Last autumn's hike in alcohol prices in Scotland has had little impact on overall consumption, with no significant shift to low and zero alcohol products, analysis has suggested. Some seven months on from the increase in minimum pricing, from 50p to 65p per unit of alcohol, average volume prices have risen more in Scotland than in the UK as a whole, notably for spirits. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The minimum unit price (MUP) on alcohol had been increased to 65p. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire | Jane Barlow/PA Wire However, consumption levels north of the Border have not dropped off significantly, according to industry data. As a result, consumers in Scotland have increased their spend on beers, wines and spirits by more than the UK since the hike was introduced on September 30. The key aim of minimum unit pricing (MUP) is to reduce the quantity of alcohol - or volume - being purchased overall. But detailed analysis by consumer insights provider Circana, covering the initial six-month period to March 29, found premium spirit brand owners have also benefited from the MUP increase. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With already higher prices, these brands have absorbed the hike more readily, limiting average volume price rises compared to their cheaper counterparts and have seen less volume drop off as a consequence. Fortified wine and ready-to-drink spirits are said to have surged as consumers look for 'value, convenience and quality'. Within the spirits category, volume has moved to smaller bottles as the savings from larger bottles have been eroded by MUP, with consumers looking to make unit price savings. There has been no significant shift to low alcohol or zero-rated products despite the increase in MUP, according to Circana, which collects point of sale data from retailers. The firm said its research paints a 'compelling picture of a post-MUP Scotland that's not drinking less, just differently'. Alex Lawrence, senior strategic insight director at Circana, said: 'Six months on from the increase in Scotland's minimum unit pricing - aimed at further curbing alcohol consumption in Scotland - and we can see that Scottish spirits in-home consumption has reduced. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'However, beer, cider and wine consumption looks to have been boosted, as consumers switch from shorts to pints, with premium product manufacturers and the convenience channel also raising their glasses as they gain market share.' A consumer purchases beer from a supermarket in Scotland. Picture: John Devlin Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce a minimum price for alcohol in 2018, with a base price per unit of alcohol set at 50p. Last year, MSPs voted to put that rate up to 65p - a 30 per cent hike - in a move designed to reflect the impact of inflation. It was initially thought the increase would take effect from the start of May last year, but that was pushed back to the end of September. Medical experts and alcohol recovery groups backed the price increase, but others questioned the effectiveness of the policy. While the move was backed by 88 votes to 28 in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Conservatives argued the price hike would disproportionately impact social drinkers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad MUP does not work as a levy and does not generate any dedicated funding for the Government to target health and societal issues caused by excessive drinking. The aim is to reduce the quantity of alcohol being purchased overall and any additional takings go straight to the retailer. Circana said 'symbol' chains, such as Spar, Nisa Local and Londis, and independent retailers in Scotland, have benefited from the MUP increase. With their prices typically already higher, the retailers have increased them less than their supermarket peers and seen less volume drop off as a result. The hike in MUP has seen consumers pay at least £18.20 for a 70cl bottle of whisky at 40 per cent ABV that previously sold at £14. A 750ml bottle of wine that had cost about £4.50 has risen to a minimum of £5.85. When it comes to lager, a four-pack of 440ml cans of Tennent's, at 4 per cent ABV, which used to cost £3.52 in many supermarkets, now sells for a minimum of £4.58. A single 500ml can of similar strength beer or lager went from £1 to £1.30. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Subsequent inflationary pressures and rounding up has pushed many prices even higher. Figures released in February showed deaths linked to alcohol in Scotland had reached a 15-year high. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 1,277 alcohol-specific deaths north of the Border in 2023 - 22.6 per 100,000 people. Northern Ireland was close behind at 18.5 deaths per 100,000 people, while the figure was 15 per 100,000 in England, where the debate over MUP is ongoing.
