Agency workers are being mobilised across the UK to fill workforce gaps resulting from thousands of workers being stranded abroad due to the volcanic ash cloud.

Ahead of the publication of the latest official unemployment figures, the REC’s April JobsOutlook survey shows the highest employer confidence recorded so far this year.

With the prevailing volcano ash cloud still disrupting UK air travel, the REC’s legal team has responded to the question currently being asked: do agencies and employers have to pay their staff if they are still stranded abroad and unable to return to work?

Due to the key speaker being stranded abroad while the cloud of volcanic dust settles, the REC has had to reschedule its public tendering workshop which was due to take place in Edinburgh today and will now take place on Thursday May 20.

The Spitfire and the Hurricane would not have flown without them, the Second World War would have sounded very different without their distinctive rumble overhead, but victory and peace marked the beginning of the end of the golden age of the aircraft propeller. Until now, perhaps — because in a corner of an airfield in Gloucestershire, a very British industry is making a comeback. Moreover, its renaissance is being driven not by nostalgia but by 21st-century pragmatism.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) is weighing a dramatic about-face on plans to close one of its three UK production plants.

· By 31 March, 372,401 new cars had been registered through the scrappage scheme. · Scrappage accounted for 12.2% of all new car registrations in March. · The scheme accounted for 3.2% of the total van market in March, with 6,577 new LCVs registered through the scheme since it began in May 2009. · Average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme were 132.9g/km, 27.1% below a scrapped car’s figure and 9.6% below the overall new car market average.

The passing of the Digital Economy Bill in Parliament, which enables government plans to migrate analogue radio to digital services from 2015, has prompted industry to reinforce its call for a collaborative approach between broadcasters, the automotive sector and government to drive consumer awareness and ensure an efficient and effective migration for vehicle manufacturers and motorists.

The REC’s new Sales and Retail Sector Group has signalled its intention to promote a positive image of working in the sales and retail industries.

The final countdown has now begun for the REC’s two running men who will be competing in the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday (April 25).