Around 5m workers were furloughed in July amid uneven recovery September 18, 2020 As many as 5.3m people remained on the furlough scheme at the end of the July, although almost a million returned to their jobs on a part-time basis, the latest figures from HMRC showed. The furlough scheme became flexible in July, meaning businesses could bring employees back part-time. The government paid 80 per cent of [...]
Almost half of firms plan to cut or stop hiring amid pandemic September 18, 2020 Almost half of UK firms expect to reduce recruitment or stop hiring new employees altogether over the coming year as they adjust to life during the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has found. The latest CBI/Pertemps employment trends survey said a “two-speed” job market had emerged. It found 46 per cent of firms were looking to [...]
UK small business recovery stalls as firms adapt to Covid September 18, 2020 The recovery among UK small businesses slowed in August as demand for services dropped, according to a new survey, in a worrying sign that the economic rebound is running out of steam. Natwest, who produced the survey, said there was a “widening gap” between big businesses and smaller firms, the latter of which employ the [...]
No new 2p or £2 coins to be made for a decade September 18, 2020 The Royal Mint has no plans to make any new 2p or £2 coins for the next decade, as cash usage in the UK continues to decline. Only 30 per cent of transactions made in the UK last year used cash, compared to 60 per cent in 2009. However cash is still relied upon by [...]
Rishi Sunak’s Kickstart scheme can help blunt the impending youth unemployment crisis September 18, 2020 This week’s unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics paint a gloomy picture for Britain’s young people. In the UK those aged 16 to 24 have been hit hardest by job losses since the economy locked down. There were 156,000 fewer young people in employment in the three months to July when compared with [...]
New Zealand falls into worst recession on record September 17, 2020 New Zealand has fallen into the worst economic recession on record in the second quarter, as well as its first recession in more than a decade. GDP in the country contracted a seasonally adjusted 12.2 per cent between April and June compared to the previous quarter, marking its steepest quarterly contraction since records began. It [...]
US jobless claims slip but rebound loses steam September 17, 2020 The number of Americans making new jobless claims fell slightly last week, but stayed at a very high level in a sign that the jobs recovery is losing steam. New jobless claims came to 860,000 in the week to 12 September, the Labor Department said today. That was down from 893,000 the week earlier, although [...]
Bank of England keeps policy on hold and flags solid recovery September 17, 2020 The Bank of England has kept monetary policy on hold, saying the UK economy’s recovery had been “a little stronger” than expected but warning that coronavirus could knock it off course. The Bank kept its main interest rate at the record-low level of 0.1 per cent, and the bond-buying target stayed at £745bn. The vote [...]
David Cameron: Too early to consider fixing the UK’s budget deficit September 17, 2020 David Cameron has said the UK economy will need “generous help to reopen” and that Rishi Sunak should not consider measures to fix the budget deficit until an economic recovery is well under way. The former prime minister told Times Radio that “we’re going to have to think about fixing the roof again when the [...]
Travelling to work hits highest level since Covid began September 17, 2020 The proportion of people travelling to work hit its highest level since the coronavirus lockdown began last week as Britons’ gradual return to offices and workplaces continued. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 62 per cent of people travelled to work in the week that ended on 13 September. It was the first time [...]