Businesses gloomy about state of economy before Budget tax rises January 3, 2025 Business leaders remain gloomy about the state of the economy entering the New Year, a new survey shows, as they anticipate the impact of the Budget’s tax increases. The Institute of Directors’ economic confidence index, which measures business sentiment about the economy, rose to -61 in December, up from -65 the month before but still [...]
Firms hiring low-wage workers set for tax bill hike, CPS think tank warns January 3, 2025 The cost of employing low-wage workers is set to hit a record high in 2025, according to new analysis. Businesses employing low-wage workers will see their tax bills soar, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) has warned, after research found the rise in employer’s national insurance contributions (NICs) led to a 60 per cent tax [...]
Why you should still go to the pub in Dry January January 2, 2025 Dry January has crept up on us once again — a month in which avid pub-goers look to kickstart a healthier year ahead. For some, it’s a month to start fresh with new beginnings. For others, such as the hundreds of independent pubs across the nation looking for growth, it is yet another challenge. Especially [...]
Manufacturing downturn deepens as firms brace for national insurance rise January 2, 2025 Activity in the UK’s manufacturing sector fell to its lowest level in nearly a year, a new survey shows, as businesses brace for the impact of the government’s first Budget. According to S&P’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), factory output, new orders and employment, all fell at accelerated rates in December. This pushed the overall [...]
Retail insolvencies set to surge as Budget bites, experts warn December 30, 2024 A wave of insolvencies could be coming to the retail and hospitality sectors next year as businesses crumble under the tax bill brought on by Labour’s Budget, bosses have warned. Insolvencies and restructuring could rise further over the start of 2025 as firms face increased cost pressures, industry experts have said, with the retail, hospitality [...]
Relief for Reeves as business outlook brightens for new year December 30, 2024 UK businesses have defied the negative sentiment which has defined the latter part of the year and predicted an upswing in 2025. More UK businesses are expecting a stronger start to 2025 than they did entering 2024, new research from Lloyds Business Barometer has found. Seven in ten UK businesses expect to see their turnover [...]
Finance bosses optimistic about Labour plans to cut red tape December 30, 2024 A KPMG survey found seven in 10 financial services bosses think the policies will help attract foreign investment into the sector.
Small businesses gear up for growth despite Budget pressures December 29, 2024 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are gearing up for expansion in 2025 despite fears about the state of the economy. In a survey of over 2,000 SMEs conducted directly after Labour’s Autumn Budget, 81 per cent said they were confident their business would grow next year, with confidence among those employing more than 50 [...]
Caution persists in London’s prime property market after Budget hit December 27, 2024 A tense political and economic environment has left buyers of prime property cautious in the last few months of the year, with prices dipping in central London. House prices in Knightsbridge and Belgravia fell by two per cent and 1.5 per cent, respectively, while prices fell 0.8 per cent across the capital as a whole, [...]
Shoe Zone shares crash as Budget deals major blow to profit plans December 18, 2024 Shares in Shoe Zone have plummeted to their lowest value for more than three years after the company warning the changes announced in the Autumn Budget has forced it to close a number of stores. The Leicester-headquartered retailer issued a trading update to the London Stock Exchange in which it revealed the impacted that “significant [...]