‘Subdued’ services sector suffers steep drop as tax hikes bite October 3, 2025 Business activity expansion fell to a five-month low after a “subdued” services sector experienced a dull end to the third quarter. S&P’s UK Services Purchasing Managers Index Business Activity tumbled to 50.8 in September, falling steeply from the 16-month high of 54.2 secured in August. “This summer’s acceleration in output growth is now looking like [...]
Whitehall pledges skills drive as AI wounds UK’s job market September 23, 2025 The UK government is seeking to strike a balance between the promise and the perils of AI, with ministers insisting they are preparing for a range of outcomnes as the technology reshapes the labour market. Kanisha Narayan, a junior minister at the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), said the administration was “monitoring data [...]
Bowers & Wilkins cuts dozens of jobs after plunging to $8m loss September 22, 2025 Bowers & Wilkins has cut dozens of jobs after plunging to an $8m (£6m) loss despite seeing an upturn in sales, its latest accounts show. The premium headphone and speaker maker, which counts David Beckham among its brand ambassadors, has reduced its workforce by 14 per cent, with 50 production jobs going amid the introduction [...]
Sky to cut hundreds of UK jobs as broadcaster shifts focus September 16, 2025 Sky, the Comcast-owned broadcaster, is set to cut around 900 jobs in the UK as it shifts its focus from new product launches to enhancing existing services and competing with US streaming giants. Around 600 roles are expected to go in the group’s operations, the FT first reported, with the remaining staff potentially redeployed, depending [...]
Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes are ‘taking Britain back to 1980s’ as investors turn their backs September 15, 2025 Britain’s jobs market is being hollowed out just like it was in the 1980s thanks in part to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes, the chief executive of recruitment giant Reed has said, as the CBI warns the country is now seen as a less attractive place to invest than five years ago. James Reed said [...]
Law firm Freshfields kicks off paralegal redundancies September 12, 2025 Top British law firm Freshfields has kicked off a round of redundancies targeting paralegals in its Manchester office. According to a legal trade publication, Roll on Friday, paralegals in the Manchester office were summoned to a meeting last week titled “Important Update.” According to sources, the firm plans to axe about half of its junior [...]
Rachel Reeves’ tax raids drag UK to world’s worst hiring slump September 9, 2025 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax raids on employers have continued to harm the economy with fresh figures showing the UK had the worst hiring slump across the globe. The UK suffered the biggest global drop in year-on-year planned hiring, contracting 17 percentage points. Singapore, Hungary and Finland, which followed, all contracted nine per cent, according to [...]
Bodycare: Full list of stores to close as 450 jobs lost September 5, 2025 High street health and beauty retailer Bodycare has collapsed into administration with the loss of 32 stores and around 450 jobs being made redundant. Nick Holloway, Chris Pole and Mike Leeds from Interpath have been appointed joint administrators to G.R. & M.M. Blackledge plc, which trades as Bodycare. Founded in 1970 on a market stall [...]
Nespresso cuts over 200 UK jobs amid store closures September 2, 2025 The UK arm of coffee giant Nespresso shed more than 200 jobs as it shut locations across the country in 2024, it has been confirmed. The business reduced its headcount from 716 to 499 during its latest financial year as it closed 11 of its sites. In new accounts filed with Companies House for 2024, [...]
Sweaty Betty cuts jobs as brand returns to profit September 1, 2025 Fashion brand Sweaty Betty cut almost 100 jobs as it returned to profit for the first time since 2021. The London-headquartered business cut its workforce from 990 to 903 employees as it recovered from a pre-tax loss of £13.4m to a profit of £1.5m in 2024. New accounts filed with Companies House have also revealed [...]