German investor sentiment hit by VW scandal and declining emerging markets October 13, 2015 German investor confidence plunged in October, as the VW emissions scandal and slow growth in emerging markets took their toll. Thank tank ZEW put its monthly measure of economic sentiment at 1.9 – a fall of 10.2 points from 12.1 in September, and the lowest level it has reached since this time last year. The [...]
UK house prices: Buy-to-let lending drove the mortgage boom in August, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders October 13, 2015 Mortgage lending ticked up in August compared with the same month last year, with buy-to-let lending posting a rapid increase. There was a whopping 37.9 per cent jump in buy-to-let lending on the year, with 22,200 mortgages approved. The amount of money lent out was up 47.8 per cent to £2.3bn, according to the figures released this morning [...]
Asian markets rattled by mixed Chinese trade data as exports hold up but imports tumble further than expected October 13, 2015 Asian markets were shaken by mixed signals from fresh China trade data that rekindled worries about a slowdown in the world's second-biggest economy. The figures for September showed that, despite hitting a record-high trade surplus with exports holding up far better than expected, imports tumbled further than predicted. Economic data has been weak over the summer and [...]
Parcel delivery service Yodel to create 7,000 jobs ahead of Black Friday 2015 and Christmas period October 13, 2015 Parcel carrier business Yodel today announced that it is to create 7,000 jobs across the UK, including 776 in London, ahead of the busy Christmas period. While the roles are seasonal positions for the peak period, the firm said many of the positions are expected to become permanent due to a number of new retailers joining [...]
UK housing market activity rose to a six-month high in September – Connells Survey & Valuation October 13, 2015 UK housing market activity reached a six-month high in September, according to data out today from Connells Survey & Valuation. Last month also saw the number of property valuations reach the second-highest monthly level on record – there were just 0.5 per cent fewer valuations carried out than in March 2015, which is when they [...]
London professionals are poorest in the UK despite earning highest salaries – CV-Library October 13, 2015 Professionals working in London are the poorest workers in Britain, despite earning the highest average salary, according to new research from job site CV-Library. Based on new roles advertised in the third quarter of 2015, CV-Library calculated that the average annual salary in London is £36,905, which is 16.6 per cent greater than the national [...]
Builders warn UK skills shortages could halt housebuilding and new infrastructure October 12, 2015 A leading industry group has said that a skills crisis in the building industry threatens to undermine the government’s housebuilding initiatives. According to a new report from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), 60 per cent of small construction firms say they are struggling to hire bricklayers, compared to 49 per cent just three months ago.The [...]
Wall St ends up with focus on earnings – New York Report October 12, 2015 Gains in utilities offset a retreat in energy shares yesterday, leaving US stocks slightly higher as investors remained nervous about third-quarter corporate results. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 47.37 points, or 0.28 per cent, to 17,131.86, the S&P 500 gained 2.57 points, or 0.13 per cent, to 2,017.46 and the Nasdaq Composite added 8.17 [...]
London Living Wage: The best and worst boroughs for paying living wages October 12, 2015 Fewer jobs in London pay above the Living Wage than five years ago, but jobs in the capital are more likely to pay the wage than those outside. Between 2008 and 2010, jobs paying less than the £8.80 living wage in London accounted for 13 per cent of all jobs in the city. By 2014, [...]
London house prices: Why fried chicken is a useful guide to where to invest in property October 12, 2015 The Coffee: Fried Chicken Shop Index started quite literally as a joke, forming part of a stand-up comedy routine I did. But the results highlight a wider aspect of the London property market, and one which many may have subconsciously considered when walking the streets of the city. When looking to invest in a particular property and, [...]
