Why everything you think you know about the gig economy might be wrong February 20, 2017 The rise of the so-called gig economy characterised by new technology platforms such as Uber and Deliveroo has sent the number of self-employed workers soaring in recent years… or so says conventional thinking. But, a new report suggests it is, in fact, higher earners in high-skilled jobs who are driving the growth of the self-employed to top [...]
London airports soar to record months as UK shows “economic resilience” in the face of Brexit February 13, 2017 Passenger numbers at London's airports continue to soar as Luton reported a 20 per cent jump for January compared to last year. London's two biggest airports also had record months, with passenger numbers at Heathrow up 4.2 per cent at 5.74m and Gatwick up 12.1 per cent with 2.8m passengers travelling through the airport. Heathrow [...]
Pay-to-use motorway fails to secure bidders February 10, 2017 A £1.9bn deal to sell M6 Toll road has fallen through, prompting lenders to consider refinancing Britain’s only pay-to-use motorway. Plans to sell the motorway were announced in February last year and were already delayed as a result of the summer’s EU referendum vote. The sale is now not expected to take place, according to [...]
JCB keeps staff happy by adding a Christmas bonus to recently agreed pay deal December 21, 2016 There may be a wave of industrial action sweeping across the country, but one of Britain's best-known companies has headed-off similar problems by promising a festive bonus to staff. Digger-giant JCB revealed it will treat its employees to an extra £400 in their Yuletide pay packets. Employing 5,000 staff in the UK across 11 plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and [...]
Finance: How it made civilization possible September 22, 2017 What is finance, where does it come from, and why does it matter? William N. Goetzmann, of the Yale School of Management, addressed these questions in his presentation at the 62nd Annual Financial Analysts Seminar. He led participants on a tour through financial history, illuminating distinctive artefacts that demonstrate the critical role finance has [...]
Construction demand stays strong for small to medium-sized firms in quarter following Brexit vote October 19, 2016 Consumer demand for building work stayed strong in the three months following the EU referendum, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The continuing skills shortage and growing cost of doing business are the greatest challenges to construction firms, rather than demand, the FMB’s survey of small and medium-sized companies found. The positive growth [...]
Over three quarters of UK subcontractors don’t benefit from national infrastructure projects November 21, 2016 With Philip Hammond's first Autumn Statement on the horizon, the general expectation is that it'll be an infrastructure-laden announcement. And UK subcontractors are among many hoping they'll get some attention. Over three quarters (78 per cent) don't benefit from national infrastructure projects, according to new research from specialist funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS). Helen Wheeler, managing director [...]
A bird’s eye view of the Elizabeth Line stations taking shape January 27, 2017 The Crossrail rail project has released a batch of new images to give us a bird's eye view of how the new Elizabeth Line stations are shaping up. There are 10 new stations being built across the capital and in the tunnels, over three-quarters of the permanent track has been laid. Simon Wright, Crossrail programme director, [...]
Business secretary Greg Clark heads for Paris talks with French government and PSA over possible GM deal February 16, 2017 Business secretary Greg Clark has travelled to Paris for talks with the French government and PSA over the french company's prospective takeover General Motors’ European Opel operations, including Vauxhall. Clark is to meet with French industry minister Christophe Sirigue and PSA just hours after Unite’s Len McCluskey said he was seeking “urgent talks” with PSA. The union leader [...]
Hewden launches urgent search for backers as debt woes stack up October 30, 2016 Digger firm Hewden has launched an urgent search for new backers amid money concerns which could put more than 1,000 jobs at risk. The company, which rents diggers, cranes and other heavy machinery to building sites across the UK, is dealing with a cash shortage which it blames on “market uncertainty following the vote to leave [...]