Retail and manufacturing slowdown hits the logistics industry June 7, 2016 Logistics firms are being squeezed by a higher cost of doing business and increasing pressure from struggling retailers and manufacturers, according to a new report. Barclays found 49 per cent of businesses said trading conditions had become more difficult over the last six months, as its measure of confidence hit its lowest level since the [...]
David Cameron pays tribute to the armed forces as he leaves Downing Street for the final time July 13, 2016 In his final address as Prime Minister, David Cameron has paid tribute to the work of Britain's armed forces and volunteers as he reflected on the achievements of his government, before heading to Buckingham Palace to formally tender his resignation. Cameron will be replaced as Prime Minister by Theresa May later today. “The spirit of [...]
Ikea poised to hand 7,300 staff a Living Wage pay hike this week March 30, 2016 Ikea staff are in line for a pay rise on Friday after the Swedish home furnishings giant pledged to introduce the Living Wage for all of its workers in the UK. The flat-pack furniture retailer said all 6,100 co-workers will receive a minimum of £8.25 nationally and £9.40 in London, as set by the Living [...]
Ex-migration chief recruited to crack down on workplace exploitation January 5, 2017 The former chair of one of an independent migration watchdog has been recruited to lead a government crackdown on exploitation of workers. Sir David Metcalf has sat on the Migration Advisory Committee since its creation in 2007, and will now serve as the first director of labour market enforcement. Metcalf, who was also a founding member [...]
How to make workers more productive without paying them more May 31, 2016 It's a question most managers are eager to know the answer to: How can a company make its employees more productive without paying them more? A new study by economists Michael Kosfeld, Susanne Neckermann, and Xiaolan Yang — published on the economics commentary website VoxEU — observed 413 students doing data-entry to find out. It defined meaningful work as something with a [...]
Rejoice? Unemployment hits its lowest since 1975 – but the experts aren’t so happy March 15, 2017 Unemployment in hit its lowest level since 1975 in the three months to January while the rate of working-age adults employed stayed at record highs. However, weaker wage growth at a time inflation is rising has given economists – and sterling – pause for thought. The government was cock-a-hoop. Damian Hinds, minister for employment said [...]
Unemployment numbers up and wage growth down: Why the UK labour market has started to stutter April 20, 2016 Jobs and wages figures released today raised questions over whether the UK economy could be losing steam. Analysts were quick to point to a host of factors that could be at play, as well as what the numbers mean for everything from interest rates to Brexit. The figures The headline unemployment rate came in unchanged [...]
Businesses rattled as latest survey points to an economic slowdown May 3, 2016 Business confidence has plummeted during the last few months due to severe volatility on the financial markets, the approaching EU referendum and the introduction of the national living wage, according to a new survey out today. The latest confidence monitor from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Grant Thornton, fell [...]
Apprenticeships just don’t look right to Londoners July 13, 2016 The mums and dads of London are the least likely to want their offspring picking up an apprenticeship, a survey released today has found. The research by YouGov on behalf of Reed in Partnership and qualifications body NCFE asked 2,042 UK adults if they had an 18-year-old child what they thought the best option for their future [...]
Productivity rises consecutively for a year but slow growth will provide little boost to UK wages February 15, 2017 Productivity in the UK recorded a year of consecutive improvements for the first time in more than five years, despite slowing slightly in the final three months of 2016. Output per hour grew by 0.3 per cent in the three months to December, according to preliminary estimates by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a slowdown [...]