Minister denies Labour’s tax hikes behind youth unemployment Politics The Labour government’s £25bn hike in taxes paid by employers is not the main driver behind rising youth unemployment, a government minister told City AM. Baroness Jacqui Smith, the skills minister, said that changes in NICs and minimum wages have not been the main drivers behind a rise in unemployment rates for people under the [...]
Ban non-compete clauses to ‘boost Britain’s fastest growing firms’ Business Rising hiring costs and difficulties recruiting talent are making it harder for Britain’s most promising companies to grow, with three quarters saying they could create at least 10 per cent more jobs if barriers to expansion were removed. New research from Enterprise Britain found the cost of employing staff has become one of the main [...]
Screens aren’t the problem, it’s what’s on them that’s rotting our brains Opinion Technology is just a tool. Like every tool, it can make us better or it can waste our time. So the real question isn’t how much of it we use – it’s what we use it for, says Bhav Singh We’ve spent years arguing about the impact of screen time on kids’ development, but I [...]
Adobe and LinkedIn target AI skills gap in marketing roles June 16, 2026 Adobe and LinkedIn have launched a new AI training programme for marketers as businesses accelerate their adoption of AI and demand for AI-skilled workers surges. Together, the firms are rolling out a free programme through LinkedIn Learning, Fortune reported, offering role-specific courses covering digital marketing, content creation, social media, communications, data and analytics. The launch [...]
Specialist tech recruiter sees hiring slump across UK and Europe June 16, 2026 A specialist recruiter in science, technology and maths has posted a slump across its UK operations as the hiring market continues to cool. Workforce consultant SThree recorded a 19 per cent drop in net fees across the UK, which refer to costs paid by an employer to fill a vacancy. Total takings in the UK [...]
Untrained managers are stalling Britain’s AI returns April 23, 2026 British businesses are pouring copious amounts of capital into AI, but meaningful returns are by no means guaranteed. New research from the Chartered Institute of Management found that only one in 20 managers report real, transformational productivity gains from AI investment. Meanwhile, one in four say they have seen no benefit at all. The CMI’s [...]
Almost half UK firms cite AI skills shortage as barrier to growth April 22, 2026 Nearly half of UK businesses say a shortage of AI and digital skills is now the single biggest barrier to scaling AI, according to a new report, despite rapid growth in adoption across the economy. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) research found 49 per cent of UK organisations cite a lack of AI and digital [...]
Why the UK is losing the AI skills race February 16, 2026 What's the use in being the third largest AI market in the world if our workforce doesn't know how to use it, asks IBM's Leon Butler.
Make your lunch break count: free learning and culture in the City January 21, 2026 Setting a New Year’s resolution is one of those time-honoured traditions. Indeed, it’s a ritual that can be traced some 4,000 years to the ancient Babylonian times, with citizens celebrating the New Year during a 12-day festival called Akitu. One common New Year’s resolution was the return of borrowed farm equipment. While our goals may [...]
Imperial College and Thomson Reuters bring AI lab to London December 2, 2025 London is staking its claim as a world-leading hub for AI research with the announcement of a new Frontier AI Lab, a partnership between Imperial College London and Thomson Reuters. The lab promises to bring cutting-edge AI development, until now largely the preserve of a handful of tech giants, to the heart of Britain’s capital. [...]