Research shows huge gulf in UK jobs estimates October 22, 2013 THREE well-established surveys of the UK’s job market suggest that official figures may be overestimating UK employment by over a million jobs, according to research released by Markit last night. The huge divergence between estimates made by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and a number of other sources has opened up since 2010. The gauges [...]
Desktop users fall as shoppers move to mobile October 21, 2013 THE NUMBER of Britons searching for goods on their desktops has dwindled in the past year as tablet ownership booms and more consumers shop from the comfort of their sofa. Retail searches on desktop computers were down by 10 per cent in the third quarter compared with the same time last year, according to data [...]
Quindell Portfolio seeks full listing October 21, 2013 Insurance claims processor Quindell Portfolio announced yesterday it is seeking a full listing on the London Stock Exchange in March, with the possibility of a dual listing in Canada. The firm said it is now involved in one in four claims being handled by UK insurers. In its third quarter trading statement, the firm said [...]
Think tank says HS2 must link up with regions October 20, 2013 NEW research on the controversial High Speed 2 project has found that the scheme could benefit the British economy – providing it is properly joined up to the rest of the rail network. The Independent Transport Commission found that the £42.6bn link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will help regenerate regions near the route [...]
Tech companies push ahead in UK job creation October 20, 2013 UK TECHNOLOGY companies have outpaced the rest of the private sector as a whole in terms of job creation for the past 10 years, according to a report out today from KPMG and Markit. The Tech Monitor UK report reveals that the number of jobs in the technology sector grew by 4.3 per cent in [...]
Just Retirement launches £300m market listing October 17, 2013 LIFE INSURER Just Retirement yesterday became the latest UK company to tap buoyant stock markets after announcing plans to raise £300m in an initial public offering (IPO) The company, which goes head to head with recently floated insurer Partnership in offering enhanced annuities, will launch a road show in the UK and America in the [...]
Accountants relieved as audit shake-up plan watered down October 15, 2013 THE COMPETITION Commission yesterday watered down its audit reforms, pleasing big accountants and their clients but putting itself at odds with tougher reforms looming from the European Union. The Competition Commission now wants FTSE 350 companies to put their book-keeping out to tender at least once a decade, to shake up a market dominated by [...]
Big audit firms win reprieve after protests over tender rule change October 14, 2013 THE COMPETITION Commission will this morning reveal the final version of its plans to shake up the audit market, having rowed back from its original proposals to force firms to hear pitches from auditors every five years. The commission is expected to set out a longer timeframe for the so-called mandatory tender rules, which are [...]
Construction confidence rising October 14, 2013 Swelling order books and improved profits margins are increasing confidence in the construction sector in the UK and globally, according to a survey published today by KPMG. The study found firms expect more government spending on infrastructure projects and the global economic recovery to drive new business. It found 57 per cent of UK firms [...]
Capital’s firms more optimistic about economy October 10, 2013 LONDON’S businesses are feeling more optimistic as the British economy picks up pace, but have a lukewarm outlook for the capital itself. In a survey released yesterday by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG, more than two thirds of firms (67 per cent) in the capital now say that they plan to expand [...]