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FSB puts forward five-point plan

Not to be outdone by everyone else, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has also published a five-point plan that it claims would help create and retain jobs in the current economic downturn.

Published just before the government’s New Year jobs summit on Monday, the FSB has highlighted part-time work, apprenticeships, reducing red tape, cutting payroll taxes and giving more small firms the chance to bid for public sector contracts as the answer to the growing challenge of unemployment.

The organisation claims the government could take 191,000 out of unemployment and into self-employment by following the example of the enterprise allowance scheme in the 1980s, while reducing the regulatory burden would create 160,000 jobs and safeguard a further 73,000.

Colin Stratton, FSB Regional Chairman for the North East of England, said: “The FSB’s Five Point Plan is going to be vital to creating and retaining jobs in the small business sector during what is going to be a challenging year, with unemployment on the rise. We are calling for the Government to help small businesses to continue to invest in recruitment and training so they can grow stronger and more competitive, creating quality jobs and doing their bit to pull the UK out of the economic slowdown as quickly as possible.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .