UK service sector growth picks up Image copyright Getty Images Growth in the UK service sector accelerated last month, according to a closely watched survey. The latest Markit/CIPS service sector purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 54.9 from the previous month’s figure of 53.3. A figure above 50 indicates growth in the sector. It was […]
UK manufacturing picks up in October
UK manufacturing picks up in October Image copyright Greencorp The UK’s manufacturing sector had its best month for more than a year in October, a survey suggests. The Markit/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI came in at 55.5, up from 51.8 in September – any figure over 50 suggests expansion. The result was considerably better than had […]
Gender pay gap details to include bonuses
Gender pay gap details to include bonuses Image copyright PA Image caption A significant pay gap opens up between men and women who are over 40 Larger employers will have to publish the amount awarded to men and women in bonuses as part of proposed legislation to reduce the gender pay gap. The planned regulations […]
TalkTalk restricts fee waivers for ending contracts
TalkTalk restricts fee waivers for ending contracts Image copyright Reuters TalkTalk has said it will only waive termination fees for customers wanting to end their contracts if money is stolen from them. News that the TalkTalk website had been hit by a “significant and sustained cyber-attack” broke last week. Consumer group Which? called the offer […]
UK economic growth slows to 0.5% in third quarter
UK economic growth slows to 0.5% in third quarter Image copyright PA The UK economy’s growth slowed in the third quarter of the year, weighed down by the performance of the construction and manufacturing sectors. Gross domestic product grew by 0.5% between July and September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, down from 0.7% […]
Morrisons to be sued by 2,000 staff
Morrisons to be sued by 2,000 staff Image copyright Getty Images More than 2,000 staff at Morrisons are to sue the supermarket chain after some of their personal and financial details were posted online. The leak happened when a company auditor uploaded details of almost 100,000 staff to various file-sharing websites in 2013. The auditor, […]
UK unemployment falls to seven-year low
Unemployment in the UK has continued to fall and the number of people in work has continued to rise, according to the latest official figures. The number of people out of work in the January to March period fell to 1.83 million, down 35,000 from the previous quarter and the lowest for seven years. At […]
IFS: Households can expect lower incomes, whoever wins the election
IFS: Households can expect lower incomes, whoever wins the election Most people face tax rises or benefit cuts after the election In a withering analysis of the major parties’ plans, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has concluded that households can expect lower incomes, whoever wins the election. The think-tank said that, […]
UK economic growth slows to 0.3%
UK economic growth slows to 0.3% Chancellor George Osborne says we have reached a ‘critical moment’ The rate of economic growth halved in the three months to the end of March, official figures show, marking the slowest quarterly growth for two years. The UK economy grew by 0.3% in the quarter, the Office for National […]
Transport firm invites women to test drive buses in diversity drive
A bus company is welcoming women to test drive their buses as part of a recruitment drive to attract more women into the company. Only 8 per cent of the firm’s 1,600 employees are currently female. However, Go North East is looking to increase that number and employ 300 women, the Sunderland Echo report. The […]