Jobs figures show Labour has abandoned growth February 16, 2026 A staggering 37 per cent of businesses surveyed by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said they planned to reduce hiring permanent staff as a result of the Employment Rights Act, says Callum Price If we believe that a government is what it does, not what it says, it would be difficult to argue that this government has even a passing interest [...]
Bank of England’s Mann says minimum wage rise linked to youth employment February 15, 2026 An increase in minimum pay for younger workers has led to a rise in youth unemployment, according to Bank of England rate-setter Catherine Mann, as new data shows Britain’s jobless rate for young people has climbed above the European average. The unemployment rate for 18 to 24-year-olds stood at 13.7 per cent in the three [...]
One in three founders plan job cuts due to AI February 13, 2026 A third of Britain’s scale-up founders are expected to cut jobs in the next year as AI adoption accelerates, new data suggests. A new report by Helm found 33 per cent of founders expect AI to lead job cuts in their business within the next twelve months. Nearly two-thirds, or 64 per cent, said they [...]
AI minister promises UK visa fast-track for global talent February 11, 2026 Britain will reimburse visa fees and speed up processing for international AI talent, as the government pushes to turn the country into a global hub for the technology. Speaking at the London AI Hub last night, AI minister Kanishka Narayan said a new dedicated AI “talent stream” would sit by a broader effort to train [...]
UK labour market weakens as hiring and pay growth cools February 8, 2026 The UK labour market continued to lose momentum at the start of 2026, with falling employment, weak hiring demand and easing wage growth reinforcing signs of a sustained slowdown. BDO’s Employment Index fell for a third consecutive month in January to 93.30, its lowest level since March 2011, as businesses pulled back on recruitment amid persistent cost [...]
Bank of England raises alarm on unemployment as interest rates unchanged February 5, 2026 The Bank of England has held interest rates but policymakers warned that the spiralling unemployment rate and weak growth was weighing down on price growth. In its decision on Thursday, the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 to leave interest rates at 3.75 per cent. But economists warned that unemployment could jump higher over the [...]
The graduate crisis: hundreds of thousands sign on to welfare January 27, 2026 The myth is surely shattered; university is not a springboard into the future and a degree does not guarantee you a job. New analysis reveals that over 700,000 university graduates are out of work and claiming benefits. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), which studied data from the Labour Force Survey and the Department for [...]
Jobless graduates claiming benefits totals 700,000, report says January 26, 2026 The number of unemployed graduates claiming benefits now totals 700,000, a new report has estimated, with blame being laid on the UK education system’s “obsession” with getting young people into university. Fresh analysis by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has found the number of jobless graduates receiving welfare support was nearing three quarters of [...]
Thousands more jobs lost as UK businesses hold off hiring January 20, 2026 Thousands more jobs have been lost across the UK, official data has shown, while wage growth also slowed down in further signs of a struggling labour market. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said that the number of employees on the payroll fell by 33,000 in November while an estimate for December said there [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Stocks fall as Trump ramps up pressure; Unemployment at four-year high January 20, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the Morning Wire liveblog. Thousands more Brits exited the jobs market in November as the estimated number of payrolled employees fell by 33,000. New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and hit 5.1 per cent in September [...]