UK unemployment will surpass pandemic high, says JP Morgan February 24, 2026 UK unemployment will brush past its peak in the Covid-19 pandemic, Wall Street’s biggest bank has predicted, as employer’s still feel the brunt of Rachel Reeves’ cash grabs. The rate of unemployed Brits is tipped to reach 5.5 per cent by the late spring, according to a forecast by JP Morgan, which would mark an [...]
Shoplifting cost retailers £400m last year February 24, 2026 British retailers lost out on nearly £400m last year due to shoplifting, despite falling numbers of violent theft and abuse. Violence and abuse against shopkeepers occurred 1,600 times per day on average, down 20 per cent from 2,000 last year, according to a crime report published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The Crime and [...]
Trump calls on Big Tech to protect households from AI power costs February 24, 2026 The White House has requested formal pledges from US tech giants that the swelling data centre boom will not drive up electricity bills for households, as concern mounts over AI’s energy demands. Donald Trump has approached behemoths like Microsoft and Alphabet, who have notoriously rallied behind his administration, about signing voluntary, non-binding agreements committing them [...]
Money Supermarket doubles down on AI in push to placate investor fears February 24, 2026 Money Supermarket’s owner has doubled down on its commitment to AI after investor anxieties that the technology could erode its business sent the stock tumbling earlier this month. FTSE 250 firm Mony, which owns the price comparison site alongside news website Money Saving Expert and vouchers business Quidco, said it was “shifting to mandation” for [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks take a dip amid tariff turmoil; Oil price soars February 24, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. The good old safety net of London’s blue-chip index strikes again. The week kicked off with more tariff drama after Saturday’s announcement from President Donald Trump of a sweeping 15 per cent levy across the US’ trading partners. As cool heads prevailed in government – [...]
Checkout.com defies AI job fears with hiring spree February 24, 2026 Checkout.com has defied fears of a slowdown in tech company recruitment after one of Britain’s most valuable private tech firms ramped up hiring despite widespread implementation of new AI tools. Top tech companies have reportedly pared back hiring of junior staff, which much of the work of junior recruits becoming automated by artificial intelligence. New [...]
Why US tech firms are circling Wales for AI investment February 24, 2026 With land, connectivity and an enabling regulatory ecosystem, Wales is now on the radar of AI investors, writes Phil Pugh.
Ask the expert: How should I invest if I’m worried about an AI bubble? February 24, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back on hand to answer your burning questions. This week Marianna helps a reader who is fearful of a potential tech-fuelled stock market crash. Q:I’ve built up reasonable savings in my ISA, workplace pension and SIPP. Most of my investments are in global index funds, so I’m heavily [...]
Nvidia results to test strength of rocketing AI spend February 23, 2026 In the wake of the recent Anthropic-driven sell-off in software stocks, Nvidia’s earnings report on Wednesday will serve as a key litmus test for the extraordinary growth fuelling the AI buildout. The chip behemoth, now almost synonymous with the AI boom, is expected to post revenue of between $65.6bn (£48.48bn) and $65.9bn for the quarter [...]
Big Four giant Deloitte forms $20bn EMEA unit amid tech disruption February 23, 2026 Deloitte, one of the Big Four, plans to launch a Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) firm, aiming to build a regional powerhouse that keeps pace with rapid technological change. After a successful partner vote, Deloitte announced on Monday that the new EMEA firm will launch in June 2026. Deloitte EMEA will bring together 16 [...]