SMEs finding it hard to recruit December 7, 2011 Despite high levels of unemployment, almost a third of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find staff with suitable skills. A study from the Federation of Small Businesses, published yesterday, showed 27 per cent have difficulty finding suitable workers. Forty-seven per cent complained that regulation requirements are onerous, and 34 per cent had [...]
UK economy slow in November December 7, 2011 GDP growth slowed from 0.4 per cent in the three months ending in October to 0.3 per cent in the three months ending in November, according to research from the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) out yesterday. The think-tank believes economic output will not pass its pre-recession peak until 2013. Under its [...]
FTSE see-saws on doubt over outcome of summit December 7, 2011 BRITAIN’S top shares fell yesterday after comments from a German government official eroded optimism about a comprehensive deal to solve the Euro zone’s debt crisis at this week’s crunch EU summit. The FTSE 100 index ended down 21.81 points, or 0.4 per cent, at 5,546.91, after a choppy day when the index hit an intra-day [...]
US stocks rise in volatile market with low volume December 7, 2011 US stocks edged up yesterday and the euro held steady against the dollar on hopes an EU summit can ease Europe’s debt crisis. At the same time, US Treasuries rose as some investors remained pessimistic about the summit, buying into safe-haven bonds. Commodities saw a clearer risk-off trade, with oil, metals and grains prices falling [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS December 7, 2011 Gide Loyrette Nouel The Paris-based law firm has announced its new executive committee, effective from 1 January 2012. Litigation specialist Baudouin de Moucheron (pictured) has been elected as senior partner to succeed Pierre Raoul-Duval. Stéphane Puel, who specialises in financial regulation and structuring investment funds, succeeds Christophe Eck as managing partner. Eck remains on the [...]
Culture clash: Five tips for Western firms that want to do business with China December 7, 2011 EVERYBODY knows how important it is to do business with China, but many business people are making serious errors that are hitting their company’s bottom line. So, what is the most important aspect that western companies need to focus on when dealing with the Chinese? A report released earlier this year by Blackwood Group revealed [...]
Today’s freedom was yesterday’s trade privilege December 7, 2011 THE Freedom of the City originated in the early thirteenth century. Today the freedom is largely symbolic, but in the Middle Ages it was a valuable working document that gave you the right to trade. It would enable you to carry out your trade or craft as a member of one of the venerable City [...]
Cameron isn’t down and out in Brussels yet December 7, 2011 TO THE headline writers, the case is clear cut: David Cameron is at best at loggerheads with his party on Europe, and at worst selling them out. Backbench MPs are demanding that the UK must repatriate powers from Brussels and hold a referendum, but the Prime Minister dismisses such options, stressing that the most important [...]
RAPID RESPONSES December 7, 2011 It’s not cricket While Forest Capie and Geoffrey Wood [History reveals breaking up a currency union isn’t hard, yesterday] think that the process of breaking up the euro could be a swift and relatively clean, the examples given do not involve the same levels of redemonination risk that a euro break-up carries. If you were [...]
Only fools rush in where angels fear to invest December 7, 2011 THE government is offering a 50 per cent tax incentive to try to get high rollers to throw their money behind Britain’s most risky businesses. But even those earning enough to benefit from the tax break will mostly conclude that the threat of losing it all would be too great to take. The Seed Enterprise [...]
