Productivity is improving in Britain March 31, 2010 ECONOMIC productivity improved marginally by 0.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009 on the previous three months reflecting the UK’s return to growth. Nonetheless, whole economy output per worker fell 1.4 per cent on the same period in 2008 but this was still an improvement on the 3.3 per cent drop seen in [...]
Davis Cup won’t affect funding March 31, 2010 TENNIS: Funding for the Lawn Tennis Association will not be reduced despite the embarrassing Davis Cup defeat to Lithuania last month. An All-Party Tennis Group report criticised the governing body for a lack of performance this week, but Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe confirmed the £26m investment will continue. “[We need to] help address some of [...]
Eurozone jobless rate hits 10pc March 31, 2010 THE Eurozone’s unemployment rate hit double digits in February and is expected to continue rising beyond its 11-and-a-half year high of 10 per cent in the coming months. The number of jobless in the 16-country area rose by 61,000 in February, taking the total number of unemployed across the region to 15.749m. The pace of [...]
Markets disheartened by mixed US figures March 31, 2010 MIXED US data dominated the markets yesterday after two other key macroeconomic indicators also disappointed investors. Business activity in the Midwest, as measured by the Institute of Supply Management’s Chicago business index, dropped to 58.8 in March from 62.6 in February, indicating a slowdown in the pace of expansion. This reading was well below the [...]
Banks must pocket profits March 31, 2010 BANKS should take advantage of recent profits they have made to bolster their balance sheets, the Bank of England executive director for financial stability Andrew Haldane said yesterday. “There is a strong case for banks, in the UK and internationally, pocketing this windfall rather than distributing it to either staff or shareholders,” he said in [...]
Olympic squad set to rise to 500 March 31, 2010 OLYMPICS: Great Britain look set to be represented by their biggest ever Olympic squad when the Games come to London in 2012. Subject to funding approval, Olympic chiefs hope a squad of over 500 athletes will turn out for Team GB – an increase on the 311 sent to the Beijing Games in 2008. “We [...]
Gosling faces nine-month lay-off March 31, 2010 FOOTBALL: Everton’s young midfielder Dan Gosling is out for up to nine months after rupturing a cruciate knee ligament during Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Wolves. The 20-year-old was hurt in an accidental clash with Wolves keeper Marcus Hahnemann. Everton physio Mick Rathbone said: “Our worst fears have been confirmed.”
ISA savers hit as lose out on £3bn interest March 31, 2010 BRITONS with individual savings accounts (ISAs) could have saved up to £3bn if they had switched their savings to another account, according to Consumer Focus. The public watchdog said yesterday that customers who haven’t switched their ISA accounts could be losing out on one to two per cent interest, or between £1.5bn to £3bn a [...]
Enterprise Inns slates pub aid from ministers March 31, 2010 ENTERPRISE Inns, the UK’s second-biggest pubs company, yesterday lashed out at the government for its failure to provide adequate aid to struggling publicans. Enterprise, which has over 7,000 tenanted pubs, said it noted the proposals by newly-appointed pubs minister John Healey to commit £4.3m of funding to the industry over the next three years. But [...]
CITY VIEWS: IS THE LOCAL PUB IN DANGER? March 31, 2010 ANDREW HARPER | AON CONSULTING “Fancy wine bars have put local pubs in danger, but the economic downturn is having a greater effect. High levels of taxation aren’t helping either.” JOHN YOUNG | MISHCON DE REYA “In my neck of the woods, I’ve definitely seen a lot of pubs closing. I think it’s partly because [...]
