Covid: Government borrowing falls in June July 21, 2021 Government borrowing fell over the last month as the UK economy rapidly rebounds from the damage inflicted on it by Covid, new figures released today show. The government borrowed £22.8bn last month, the second-highest figure for June since records began, according to the Office for National Statistics. However, borrowing eased from May, down from £24.3bn [...]
Haldane: Covid vaccine programme a model for successful innovation policy July 21, 2021 The former chief economist at the Bank of England has praised the UK’s Covid vaccination programme for being a model of successful innovation policy. In a foreword to a policy paper published by think tank Policy Exchange, Andy Haldane said the vaccine initiative “involved a clear mission, project management by Government… all underpinned by large-scale [...]
Covid: Economic scaring to restrict Sunak from announcing giveaways in spending review July 21, 2021 Long-standing damage inflicted on the UK economy by Covid and surging interest costs will restrict Rishi Sunak from announcing any giveaways in his upcoming spending review, according to new research published today. Forecasts published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Britain’s leading independent microeconomic research institute, show the chancellor has little room to manoeuvre due [...]
UK worker shortages mount as applicants tumble 24 per cent July 21, 2021 Worker shortages in the UK continues to intensify despite firms stepping up efforts to hire talent, according to new figures published today. Research by Broadbean Technology, the world’s largest network of job boards, shows job application in the UK fell 24 per cent between May and June of this year. However, vaccines were up 10 [...]
Downing Street does not deny govt mulls increasing national insurance contributions July 20, 2021 Downing Street has not denied that National Insurance contributions could be increased to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge. Boris Johnson is reportedly considering plans to raise National Insurance payments by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise £10bn a year to help [...]
US stocks rebound after heavy losses July 20, 2021 US stocks recovered from a battering yesterday during the morning session as investors purchased assets that looked cheap after Monday’s falls. All the US’ main benchmarks rose in the morning. The blue chip S&P 500 was up 1.12 per cent; the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 0.73 per cent and the Dow Jones added 1.49 per cent. [...]
UK bias causing British investors to miss out on potential gains July 20, 2021 UK investors are biased toward British shares despite London-based indices posting persistent long-term underperformance, according to new research. Figures from Quilter shows 64 per cent of investors with at least £60,000 in investible assets have more than a quarter of their portfolio invested in the UK. Read more: FTSE 100 bounces back to pare back [...]
‘What I Know Is…’: black professionals share their experiences July 20, 2021 | City Talk One of the main reasons for the under-representation of black professionals in investment management is the lack of knowledge and information about joining the investment profession and the opportunities that it can deliver. For the financial sector which is increasingly focused on sustainability and where corporates are increasingly rewarded for good ESG policies, ensuring that [...]
London tops rankings for foreign investment July 20, 2021 London tops the table of regions in the UK with the greatest amount of foreign investment, according to figures published by the ONS. The value of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the capital reached £660.8bn in 2019, representing 42 per cent of the aggregate amount of inward FDI in the UK. The value of FDI [...]
Covid unlocking triggers surge in recruitment activity July 20, 2021 The lifting of Covid restrictions triggered a resurgence in recruitment activity among companies over the last three months, new research released today reveals. Totaljobs’ latest Hiring Trends Index shows 41 per cent of businesses increased recruitment activity in second quarter of this year, as firms rushed to rapidly scale staffing levels to cope with soaring [...]