Restarting and building a resilient recovery June 2, 2020 COVID-19 continues to create a unique set of challenges for business and society. I think it’s important, as we wrestle with those challenges, that we continue to acknowledge that we’re all experiencing this crisis in different ways and on different timelines. The way EY has been advising businesses to manage and respond to COVID-19 is [...]
UK house prices tumble at fastest rate since 2009 amid coronavirus June 2, 2020 UK house prices dropped at the fastest rate since the financial crisis in February 2009 last month, figures have shown, as the coronavirus pandemic brought the property market to a standstill. House prices tumbled by 1.7 per cent in May compared to growth of 0.9 per cent a month earlier, according to the closely watched [...]
The City View: How to look after mental health in the age of remote work, with Octavius Black June 2, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Octavius Black, CEO of The Mind Gym, which uses psychology and behaviour science to improve the way people and businesses think, work and behave. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Octavius, who has worked with more than 60 per cent of FTSE 100 companies, says employee wellbeing and responsive, [...]
Exclusive: Financial services firms unlikely to return to the ‘old normal’ June 1, 2020 The coronavirus crisis is likely to accelerate the adoption of technology within financial services, according to accountancy firm EY. In an EY poll of more than 200 financial services firms, almost two thirds of respondents think the workplace will fundamentally change after the pandemic. A further 30 per cent expect moderate change. Simon Turner, a [...]
UK entrepreneurs rally behind the national response to COVID-19 May 29, 2020 Entrepreneurs are typically good at acting fast, spotting opportunities and responding to a dynamic market, so it comes as no surprise that many are responding to the ongoing COVID-19 situation by taking decisive action. As they try to determine the impact of the crisis, they’ve had to react quickly to safeguard employees and the future [...]
Government borrowing hits record £62bn in April over coronavirus measures May 22, 2020 UK government borrowing rose by a record £62.1bn in April alone as the government paid people’s wages and loaned businesses cash to survive the coronavirus lockdown, statistics showed today. Coronavirus measures like the job retention scheme to pay people’s wages and coronavirus loans for businesses pushed UK borrowing to the all-time high last month. The [...]
UK retail sales crash a record 18.1 per cent in April lockdown May 22, 2020 UK retail sales plunged by a record 18.1 per cent during April’s lockdown, data showed today, with clothing sales halving compared to March. Sales of clothes crashed 50.2 per cent compared to March, while retail sales fell almost four times as badly as March’s 5.2 per cent fall, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data found. [...]
UK inflation rate plunges to lowest level since 2016 amid coronavirus May 20, 2020 The UK inflation rate tumbled from 1.5 per cent in March to 0.8 per cent in April as coronavirus pushed Britain into lockdown, according to data out today. Collapsing oil prices contributed to the plunge in the consumer prices index (CPI) that determines the inflation rate, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. It fell [...]
UK jobless claims soar by a record 856,000 to 2.1m in April May 19, 2020 UK jobless claims soared 69.1 per cent – or by 856,000 – to 2.1m in April, unemployment data showed today to illustrate the staggering impact of coronavirus on the economy. And the UK unemployment number increased by 50,000 to 1.35m as lockdown started in March, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ONS [...]
Coronavirus triggers profit warning spike for financial services businesses May 18, 2020 UK listed financial services businesses have issued more profit warnings this year than in the whole of 2019 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. UK-listed financial services firms have issued 31 covid-19 related profit warnings so far this year, according to analysis from EY, representing 17 per cent of the Ftse financial services sector. [...]