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 City PM 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 [...]
Starmer is right to play it cool with Trump January 20, 2026 There was a time, really not that long ago, when Davos concerned itself mostly with feel-good sessions on sustainability, inclusive growth, the promise of net zero and various other progressive causes. Who can forget Bono chatting away on stage with Rwanda’s president on the importance of transparency and good governance? Or 2020’s inspiring theme of [...]
UK financial system exposed to ‘serious harm’ from AI risks January 20, 2026 The Treasury, the financial watchdog and the Bank of England have been handed a stiff warning that the nation’s financial system is not adequately prepared for an AI shock. A group of influential MPs sat on the Treasury Select Committee took aim at the institutions for “not doing enough to manage the risks presented by [...]
Reeves to overhaul visa system for talented migrants in Davos pitch January 20, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to talk up new visa schemes aimed at highly-skilled migrants working in tech in a pitch to business leaders and top researchers gathered at Davos. Reeves is set to talk up the Labour government’s new immigration policies as she hopes to get the attention of some of the world’s richest [...]
House affordability offers first time buyers boost but Londoners lag behind January 20, 2026 Improved house affordability has sparked an uptick in first time buyer activity over the last year, but those on lower incomes remain shut out of the housing market. Affordability constraints eased slightly, due to declining mortgage rates and wage growth surpassing house price growth, bolstering buyer demand, particularly among those taking the first step onto [...]
Greg Jackson: London IPO a ‘no brainer’ if capital flows reverse January 19, 2026 Octopus chief Greg Jackson has said choosing London as the destination for the blockbuster IPO of tech spin-off Kraken would be a “no brainer” if the exchange maintains its world-leading performance in 2025 and demonstrates it can lure fresh capital into the UK. In the biggest signal yet that the firm may select London over [...]
UK retains investment appeal but CEO confidence falters January 19, 2026 The UK has strengthened its position as a global investment hub over the last twelve months, as it works to offset competition from other countries. Britain remained the second-most attractive destination for international investment for chief executives last year, according to the latest survey from PwC, but now shares the position with Germany and India. [...]
Firms warned to make ‘contingency plans’ amid £6bn tariff hit January 19, 2026 Businesses across the UK have been warned to draw up “contingency plans” in case President Trump follows through on imposing 10 per cent tariffs on imports from major European economies next month. British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director general Shevaun Haviland warned businesses to prepare for the worst as the impact of US tariffs on [...]
High earners could be missing out on thousands in pension tax relief January 19, 2026 High earners could be at risk of losing a quarter of a million pounds in pension tax relief through failing to reclaim by the self-assessment tax return deadline. Brit ensnared in the £100,000 tax trap could see thousands of pounds slipping out of their grasp, as well as valuable free childcare support, according to wealth [...]
