When is a new job not a new job?
This afternoon a series of press releases were issued trumpeting the opening of a new IT centre in Liverpool by Tata Consultancy Services where 300 people will work.
The announcement was part of Prime Minister David Cameron's trade delegation to India.
It was duly reported that 300 new jobs would be coming Liverpool's way.
David Cameron's press office at Number 10 Downing Street even sent out a quote on behalf of the PM: "Tata has played a transformative role in the UK and I'm delighted that their consultancy service is now opening a delivery centre in Liverpool creating 300 new jobs.
"This will make a real difference to the local economy and further strengthen the company's ties to the UK."
So far so good. Until I get a phone call from a PR on behalf of TCS to say that we should not be reporting 300 new jobs on our website. Just because the new facility will "house 300 workers" does not mean 300 new jobs will be created.
It turns out that TCS will be running the IT centre for the newly formed Disclosure and Barring Service.
The DBS, which is part of the Home Office, was created in December when the Criminal Records Bureau and Independent Safeguarding Authority merged.
It turns out that TCS won the contract from Capita which currently runs the CRB services from Liverpool, and employs around 200.
A number of new jobs will be created, but TCS said it could not say how many as some workers would be transferring from Capita.
Capita's contract runs out in June, the TCS contract starts in July.
Now we know that at least 100 new jobs will be created. Good news. But 100 is not 300.
So when is a new job not a new job? When that job already exists and is being transferred from one company to another.
It's simple maths really.
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Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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How many of any new jobs will be outsourced to India?
Typically with this sort of thing. Development teams work remotely in India or Tata can get visas for their Indian staff to work here.
When is a new job not a new job?
1. When people on forced labour (e.g. Mandatory Work Activity) are counted as no longer unemployed so fall out of the unemployment statistics.
2. When jobs that were in the public sector are switched to the private sector AND are then counted as new jobs.
3. when a full time post is replaced with several part time posts and all the part time posts are counted as new jobs.
Government and the DWP are inveterate liars. Educate yourself to the truth.
Why is the contract to run the IT for the Barring and Disclosure Service (formerly the CRB) being given to an Indian Company? Aren't there any British companies capable of delivering this service?