Unemployment in Wales continues to be low but it has become the only UK area where the number of people employed fell in the three months to June. The jobless rate is 3.8%, the same as for the UK as a whole, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Meanwhile, pay has dropped by […]
Iceland will offer customers interest-free loans to help with their food shop amid soaring inflation. The supermarket trialled the scheme in Huddersfield and Rhyl, Denbighshire, before rolling it out across Wales, where more than 500 customers used it. Managing director Richard Walker said loans – provided by charity-owned lender Fair For You – would only […]
Train passengers are facing more disruption, with only 20% of services set to run due to strike action. Half of Britain’s lines will close on Thursday and Saturday as more than 45,000 rail workers walk out in a dispute over pay and terms. Some routes will have no services, and where they are operating, trains […]
The boss of engineering and technology recruiter Gattaca has said the UK’s current shortage of STEM skills is continuing to hit firms. Chief executive Matthew Wragg said today that the London-listed firm was “well placed” as it entered a new financial year, amid a limited supply of the “niche” skills. “There remains a shortage of […]
Energy regulator Ofgem has been threatened with legal action if it fails to protect vulnerable customers from soaring energy bills. The Good Law Project has teamed up with anti-poverty groups urging it to ensure people can cope with bills, expected to reach upwards of £4,000 a year. This comes as the energy price cap is […]
The British government is planning to launch formal dispute proceedings against the European Union as soon as this week. The UK thinks Brussels is breaking their agreed post-Brexit trade agreement by excluding Britain from three international science projects, according to Bloomberg News. Britain is furious that the EU refuses to grant the UK access to […]
The staffing agency industry’s trade body has hit out at Harrods after the luxury department store threatened to take advantage of new laws allowing it to break strikes using temporary workers. Harrods told its staff it is willing to use temporary workers to keep its shop running after employees at the Knightsbridge shop threatened to […]
More UK companies are set to enter administration this year than last year, analysts have warned. Risk consultancy Kroll said yesterday that it predicted that the UK could face up to 895 company administrations in 2022, compared to just 659 in 2021. So far there have been 522 administrations this year, with an average of […]
Digital trade barriers risk fragmenting the world into regional and national “splinternets” unless governments agree on a shared approach to data regulation and transfers. Financial services lobby TheCityUK yesterday warned that digital trade has become increasingly difficult and costly, with restrictions on international data transfers more than doubling in the last five years. It said […]
Six Scottish start-up businesses have secured a place in The Curiosity Shop, a new space at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh, dedicated to showcasing sustainable Scottish businesses. Created in partnership with Virgin StartUp, Virgin’s not-for-profit incubator for entrepreneurs, The Curiosity Shop features a wide range of beautifully crafted Scottish products, all from businesses whose founders have been […]