Gong Cha: Bubble tea chain plans huge UK expansion and 2,000 new jobs March 17, 2025 Bubble tea chain Gong Cha has revealed plans to open more than 225 stores across the UK and create nearly 2,000 jobs after signing a franchise agreement with a Costa Coffee giant. The London-headquartered business, which was founded in Taiwan in 2006, said the deal with Jinziex forms part of its wider strategy to reach [...]
Profit slumps at Page Group and Robert Walters as jobs market collapses March 6, 2025 The slowing jobs market has forced two of the UK’s largest recruiters to reveal painful last-year performances in which profit and revenue nosedived. Page Group and Robert Walters both posted double-digit falls in overall revenue for the year ended 31 December. The latter’s earnings plunged 16 per cent to £892m, while Page Group’s dropped 13.5 [...]
A win on the world stage masks mounting trouble at home March 4, 2025 Keir Starmer has won plaudits for his decision to increase defence spending (albeit by less than the amount he’s given Ed Miliband to run a pretend energy company) and voters appear to be firmly behind the PM’s decision to fund this modest splurge by raiding the international development budget. The latest City AM Freshwater Strategy [...]
Higher taxes will force two-thirds of hospitality business to cut jobs February 24, 2025 The hospitality sector will be drastically affected by higher taxes on employees’ wages, a new survey has found. A majority of businesses will reduce employment, while over one in ten have to close at least one site and just under two thirds will cancel investment, according to UKHospitality. The UK’s three core hospitality trade bodies [...]
Retail job vacancies have almost halved in a year February 24, 2025 The number of advertised jobs in retail has almost halved in the last year as companies continue to buckle down on costs. Job vacancies have fallen 42.25 per cent in the last year, the most significant drop in any UK sector, according to Adzuna’s latest jobs report. There has been a contraction in retail for [...]
Labour minister insists fears over workers’ rights bill ‘misplaced’ February 14, 2025 Concerns over the move to day one rights under the government’s workers rights bill represent “misplaced fear”, a Labour minister has insisted in the face of criticism from employers. Justin Madders, employment minister, told City AM firms recognise the benefits of “giving people more certainty at work” as he argued the package of workers rights [...]
Overhaul of planning barriers to nuclear power, Starmer announces February 6, 2025 An overhaul of planning barriers to make it easier to build new nuclear power plants has been announced by Keir Starmer. The move will create thousands of highly skilled jobs, the government said, as the Prime Minister confirmed red tape would be “slashed” in a bid to fast-track approval of reactors. It is set to [...]
Adzuna: Average salary hit £40,000 in December January 27, 2025 According to job search site Adzuna, the average annual advertised salary passed £40,000 for the first time in December.
Lloyds Banking Group to shut major office impacting 500 staff January 15, 2025 Lloyds Banking Group will shut its office in Liverpool later this year, in a move set to impact the site’s 500 staff. The group said its decision to close its Speke location is part of broader plans to run “fewer, better-equipped” offices amid efforts to cut costs. In a statement, Lloyds said it has not [...]
Profit at Robert Walters wiped out as jobs market misery spreads January 14, 2025 The firm faced pressures across all its main markets, with income falling in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the UK.