Construction firms slash jobs after biggest-ever cost inflation rise Property Construction businesses cut jobs at a faster pace in March while the month-to-month inflation rise was the largest on record in a survey that has existed for 29 years. S&P Global said the difference in a reading for cost inflation between February and March was the largest it had ever recorded since data collection began [...]
Costs up, demand down: Manufacturers suffer biggest squeeze since 2022 Industrials Costs for the UK’s manufacturing sector have risen at the fastest pace in three and a half years, new data has indicated, as the energy price shock from the Iran war hammers businesses. S&P Global research has found that manufacturers suffered the highest increase in input prices since late 2022 when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [...]
UK economy facing ‘pronounced recession’ Economics The war in the Middle East is “stalling growth” in the UK economy, fresh data has shown, as economists warned that a “pronounced recession” will come if energy prices stay high. A monthly survey of business activity across the country has suggested that there was a slowdown in output as well as a fall in [...]
Manufacturers warn of ‘fragile footing’ as Iran war threatens to hike costs March 16, 2026 UK manufacturing has started the year on “fragile footing,” with its economic standing likely to worsen due to the conflict in the Middle East, the sector’s industry has warned. A new report from Make UK revealed the sector is set to grow by just shy one one per cent in 2026, a modest rebound after [...]
Construction hit by wet weather as low housebuilding weakens output March 5, 2026 The construction sector was hit by “exceptionally wet weather” in February that caused delays and led to a decline in output, new research has shown. S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed the beleaguered sector suffered from an “accelerated downturn” in output last month. The construction PMI dropped to 44.5, below the 50-figure mark for [...]
Manufacturing exports highest in four years despite jobs decline March 2, 2026 Export orders across the manufacturing sector hit its highest level in four years and a half despite a continued decline in employment across the sector, new research has shown. S&P Global’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) has pointed to upbeat news on the UK economy ahead of tomorrow’s Spring Statement, which will be delivered by Chancellor [...]
Private sector axes more jobs amid Reeves’ tax and wage pressures February 20, 2026 The UK’s private sectors culled jobs for the seventeenth consecutive month in February led by a significant drop in the services sector as businesses were still digesting the impact of Labour’s 2024 Autumn Budget. The latest flash Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global described the rate of job shedding in February as at a [...]
UK construction ‘exits tailspin’ but job losses persist as housebuilding slumps February 5, 2026 The UK’s struggling construction sector showed signs it was turning a corner at the beginning of the year even as job losses and shrinking order books persisted. The latest construction Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) from S&P Global – which serves as a headline index tracking industry activity – edged up to 46.4, up from 40.1 [...]
Service sector sees longest run of job losses in 16 years February 4, 2026 A new survey suggests that the UK service sector has endured its longest sustained period of job losses in 16 years, despite rising business activity at the start of the year. Employment in the service sector has decreased in each month since October 2024, according to S&P’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI), with the pace of [...]
Employment falls despite manufacturing output hitting new high February 2, 2026 Employment across the manufacturing sector dropped despite output jumping to its highest level in 17 months, new data has shown. Manufacturers continued shedding staff due to high pay and tax pressures, according to S&P Global’s latest purchasing managers index (PMI). The poor reading for the labour market came in direct conflict with more positive results [...]