Audit reform plans ‘ready to go’ but government delays now holding UK back, accountancy chief warns February 20, 2023 The UK government’s failure to overhaul the country’s audit sector risks seeing Britain lose its position as a world-leading investment hub, the head of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales has warned. ICAEW chief Michael Izza told City A.M. continued delays to the UK’s planned reshaping of the country’s audit sector could see foreign investors [...]
Top accountancy firms more likely to hire white applicants November 12, 2021 White applicants are more likely to be successful when applying for jobs in the top UK accountancy firms, over those from ethnic minority or lower socio-economic backgrounds, according to a new report. The report, published today, by charity Access Accountancy looked at the socio-economic backgrounds of people who applied for jobs at ten accounting companies, [...]
Wood swallows over £73m charge on Polish anti-missile project February 22, 2022 The John Wood Group is set to swallow a $100m (£73.6m) charge on a project in Poland, which has prompted investors to duck out of the stock today. Wood’s share price plunged more than 11 per cent to 200p per share by early afternoon, making today its shakiest day of London trading in almost two [...]
Starting salaries see biggest jump on record amid staff shortages October 8, 2021 UK employers are being hit hard by labour shortages giving new starters the upper hand when it comes to negotiating pay. A September survey by the Recruitment and Employment Commission (REC) found that nine in ten employers, some 88 per cent, said their biggest concern for the rest of the year was labour shortages. Amid [...]
Consulting and finance firms hire more black candidates when using anonymous ‘skills-based’ tests in the hiring process June 26, 2022 City employers are more likely to hire black candidates if they rely on anonymised, “skills-based” assessments in the hiring process, instead of more traditional interview methods, new research shows. Finance and consulting firms hired 79 per cent more black candidates when they relied on skill-based assessments, over more traditional methods such as cover letters, group [...]
Shock record wage growth amplifies risk of 14th straight Bank of England interest rate rise July 11, 2023 Workers’ pay is rising faster than expected and at among the quickest paces on record in a sign that the Bank of England will deliver a 14th straight interest rate rise next month, official figures out this morning reveal. Pay excluding bonuses rose 7.3 per cent over the three months to May on an annual [...]
Worker shortages persist as pool of candidates shrinks at record pace September 9, 2021 The number of workers ready to start a new job plummeted at its fastest pace on record last month, indicating the severe worker shortages that have put the UK economy in a vice are likely to persist, according to fresh figures published today. Research by accountancy firm KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation shows [...]
Wave of dealmaking sees private equity investment in UK soar to highest level in five years August 3, 2021 Private equity deal value and volumes in the first half of the year rose to levels not seen since 2017, as investors gained confidence in post-pandemic recovery. There was a marked interest in mid-market private equity dealmaking, as funds competed for quality assets and completed 377 deals in the first six months of the year, [...]
Mark Kleinman: Boots owner Walgreens has shot itself in foot July 4, 2024 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and is the man that gets the City talking in his weekly City A.M. column.
Truelayer: Fintech unicorn boss says ‘scale is everything’ as he takes on Visa and Mastercard June 30, 2024 The chief executive of fintech unicorn Truelayer has suggested bottom-line profitability and a potential IPO are some ways off as he focuses on scaling up to challenge Visa and Mastercard’s payments duopoly.