Bank of England governor Mark Carney says global deflation forces, strong sterling could delay rate hike March 12, 2015 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said that low inflation outside of the UK, as well as a strong sterling, could cause the central bank to push back a rate hike. "It may be appropriate to take into account persistent external deflationary forces arising from the combination of continued foreign low inflation and the [...]
Inflation expectations slide to 13-year low March 6, 2015 Britain's expectations for inflation over the next 12 months have fallen to a level not seen in 13 years. The Bank of England's survey showed people's inflation expectations for the year ahead slumped to 1.9 per cent, down from 2.5 per cent in November, or the lowest since 2002. "While inflation expectations have softened appreciably [...]
Our key takeaways from Mark Carney’s speech on UK interest rates February 24, 2015 During a speech to MPs earlier today, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said an interest rate hike before the end of the year looked likely. Reading out highlights from the central bank's quarterly inflation report, he told parliament’s treasury select committee that the rise would take place despite low consumer inflation, which [...]
Bigger pay packets give pound a lift as sterling hits seven-year high against the euro February 18, 2015 Sterling soared to a seven-year high against the euro yesterday, pushed up by record jobs figures and rising wages, with some investors expecting a Bank of England rate hike to come sooner than had been expected. The UK’s employment level jumped to an equal record high of 73.2 per cent at the end of [...]
In charts: Bonuses help push UK wage growth up to 2.1 per cent as unemployment falls February 18, 2015 The UK’s unemployment rate tumbled to 5.7 per cent between October and December, while growth in pay rose to its highest since 2013, according to "corking" figures published by the Office for National Statistics today. Pay leapt 0.4 percentage points to 2.1 per cent including bonuses, but slowed to 1.7 per cent excluding bonuses. The [...]
Plunging inflation may knock deficit reduction February 17, 2015 Inflation fell to a record low in January, giving a welcome boost to hard-pressed households – but a group of economists warned the drop will harm the government’s finances, because tax receipts rise when prices go up. Prices rose by just 0.3 per cent in the 12 months to January, the Office for National Statistics said [...]
Record low inflation should not rule out a post-election rate rise February 17, 2015 The long-term view of UK inflation is much more positive than January’s figures suggest. Yesterday’s numbers showed that the UK inflation rate has fallen further – to 0.3 per cent. But the decline is showing signs of bottoming out – and temporary fluctuations should not distract us from this. Excluding food, drink, tobacco and energy, [...]
UK inflation: Last time it was this low, it was measured by the prices of swiss roll, tracksuits and luncheon meat February 17, 2015 The last time inflation was this low, shoppers' baskets were overflowing with Swiss rolls, shell suits and tins of luncheon meat. Yum. Prices rose just 0.3 per cent in January, the latest ONS figures reveal, the lowest since records began, and even slower than the previous low of December. Back in 1989 when those records [...]
Interactive: UK inflation hits 0.3 per cent, but how does it compare to other European Union countries? February 17, 2015 UK inflation slowed to 0.3 per cent in January, lower than December’s figure of 0.5 per cent and a good distance below the two per cent target for the Bank of England. More on this story: UK inflation falls to its lowest since records began But the UK is not alone in missing targets: the [...]
UK inflation falls to 0.3 per cent in January, its lowest since records began in 1989 February 17, 2015 UK inflation has fallen to its lowest level since equivalent records began in 1989, as plunging oil prices and a bitter supermarket price war push down the cost of living. The consumer price index (CPI) – which measures the cost of items in a typical family's shopping basket – rose just 0.3 per cent in January [...]