Brexit hit to UK trade not as bad as first thought Economics The negative impact Brexit had on UK trade may have been softened by big firms adapting to EU barriers, fresh research from a top London university has shown. A report from the Centre for Economic Performance, linked to the London School of Economics, found that “in the short run, aggregate trade proved moderately resilient” to [...]
UK wages continue to surge as Bank of England set to decide on interest rates Economics UK unemployment remained steady over the last three months as wage growth surged over the quarter to October. Unemployment was unchanged at 4.3 per cent for the second straight month during October, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed. The number of people claiming jobless benefits climbed by just 300 in November, beating the [...]
US inflation ticks up as market holds breath for Fed cut Economics US inflation ticked up to 2.7 per cent in November, a rise from 2.6 per cent in October and matching analyst expectations. This was the highest level of inflation that the US has experienced since July, after dipping to as low as 2.4 per cent throughout September. Inflation has not been below its 2 per [...]
Will Keir Starmer meet his pledge to improve living standards? December 5, 2024 Before the General Election Labour was proudly proclaiming its commitment to generating economic growth. The first ‘mission’ in the party’s manifesto was to secure the highest sustained growth rate in the G7. After Keir Starmer’s speech earlier today, that mission has been downgraded to an ‘aim’. The new pledge, heavily trailed before the speech, is [...]
UK business openings fall to lowest level since 2010 November 18, 2024 New business openings across the UK hit their lowest rate in more than a decade last year.
Autumn Budget 2024: All the key announcements October 30, 2024 After weeks of speculation, Rachel Reeves has delivered her first Budget as Chancellor to the House of Commons. The Budget was the first from a Labour government in 14 years and the first one ever by a female Chancellor. The 77-minute address to MPs featured a wide range of announcements which City AM has summarized [...]
Long-time IFS director Paul Johnson to step down October 17, 2024 Johnson, who became Director of the IFS in January 2011, will take up the role of Provost of Queen's College, Oxford.
Capital gains tax could be hiked to almost 40 per cent October 10, 2024 Capital gains tax could be hiked by Chancellor Rachel Reeves to almost 40 per cent in the Budget, according to reports. The Guardian has reported that the Treasury is modelling a range of between 33 per cent to 39 per cent. Around 350,000 people pay the wealth tax with is levied on the sale of [...]
Pound’s strength against the dollar risks ‘damage’ to UK’s competitiveness September 25, 2024 The pound reaching its highest level in over two years against the dollar risks damaging the international competitiveness of the UK, City analysts have warned. Sterling now sits at $1.34, its highest since February 2022 and far from its low point of $1.03 in the days after Liz Truss’ mini budget. However, while the strength [...]
China unveils stimulus package in bid to kickstart flagging economy September 24, 2024 China has unveiled its largest set of economic stimulus measures since the pandemic in an attempt to kickstart growth in the world’s second largest economy. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) announced today it had cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points, as well as the amount banks must hold as cash reserves, [...]