Less time but no pay cut: Wales looking to introduce four day work week February 15, 2022 The Welsh government is mulling to embrace a four day work week for most employees across the British nation. According to Sophie Howe, who is Wales’ future generations commissioner, a shorter work week at full pay would lead to a healthier work-life balance and give productivity a boost, as well as creating 38,000 new jobs [...]
Ukraine fears building: Markets hold their breath after Monday wiped off £43bn of London shares February 15, 2022 Billions were wiped off the stock exchange in London yesterday after global markets were thrown into turmoil in the second Monday collapse in less than a month. Nearly £58bn had been removed from the value of London’s top 350 companies just a couple of hours after markets opened on Monday. However, the companies clawed back [...]
Young people are coming back to London but population is still lower than pre-pandemic peak February 15, 2022 Young people, who left London in the midst of the pandemic, are coming back to the UK’s capital city, according to research from the Greater London Authority (GLA). Analysis by the GLA suggests the number of people aged 18-29 dropped sharply at the start of the pandemic, as thousands of young people left London to [...]
Looming Russia-Ukraine conflict sends chill through City February 14, 2022 Mounting fears over an imminent Russian insurgency of Ukraine rippled throughout the City yesterday, wiping billions off of the value of the UK’s top companies. The potentially devastating impact of a war in eastern Europe spooked investors and sent them flooding into safe assets. In a bruising day on the Square MIle, the FTSE 100 [...]
Young workers cooped up in flats have budgets squeezed by home working February 14, 2022 Young renters cooped up in small flats amid working from home orders during the pandemic have had their budgets squeezed, revealed official figures released today. Almost every person in the UK living in rented housing was hit with higher energy bills, according to research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Younger workers just starting [...]
Bank of England to send rates to decade-high by this summer February 14, 2022 The Bank of England will raise interest rates to their highest level in over a decade by the summer, City experts are forecasting. Soaring inflation will prompt the Bank to ignore the potential hit to the economic recovery from a sharp reduction in Brits’ spending power and send rates to 1.25 per cent by August, [...]
UK inflation to scale even higher as cost of living squeeze tightens February 14, 2022 Inflation will soar even further above a near three decade high this week as the squeeze on households tightens its grip, City experts are betting. Fresh figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday will reveal the the cost of living is running at 5.5 per cent, according to the consensus forecast [...]
Uncertain week ahead: Nervous markets hold their breath as Ukraine-Russia tensions reach boiling point February 14, 2022 Despite Friday’s weakness European markets still managed to finish the week higher, with the FTSE100 finishing higher for the second week in a row. For US markets it was a week of two halves, with a decent first half undermined by two days of sharp losses, which were prompted by an unexpectedly hot January CPI [...]
Chefs, waiters and bar staff benefit from pay bump as hospitality sector shows signs of life after Covid-19 February 14, 2022 Chefs, bar staff and waiters are being rewarded with a pay bump in a sign Britain’s hospitality industry is recovering from a bruising couple of years, reveals new research published today. Wages at roles in pubs, bars and restaurants have climbed 12 per cent, according to research by Caterer.com. Cooks are benefitting from the greatest [...]
Labour squeeze and national insurance hike to throttle UK SMEs’ growth plans February 14, 2022 A tight labour squeeze and soaring hiring costs are throttling small and medium-sized British firms’ recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, reveals a fresh survey published yesterday. British businesses are intending on launching a hiring spree this year to boost growth and restore revenues to pre-pandemic levels, but fear a lack of talent could throw their [...]