Business News Articles

Gender pay gap rises to 22%
The pay gap between women and men has widened to 22.6% from 21.9% in 2007, according to data released by The Women and Work Commission (WWC). The WWC has said that women are still being pushed into ‘traditional' jobs and has called on the government to do more to tackle this pay discrepancy. "The current economic conditions are not a reason for ignoring the problem of pay inequality - they... more

Retail sales fall in July
Retail sales in the UK fell for the third month in succession, according to data released by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The CBI's latest report revealed that 32% of retailers reported that sales were higher than a year ago, while 47% said they were lower. The resulting balance of -15% marks the third month in a row of declining sales. However, the pace of decline in sales i... more

First 2009 rise for house prices
House prices in England and Wales have increased month-on-month for the first time since January 2008, according to figures released by the Land Registry. The 0.1% rise in June compared with May has brought the average value of a home in the UK to just over £150,000. "This is the first time in well over a year that the monthly change has been positive. However, as the monthly increase is on... more

Broadband speeds slower than advertised
Most broadband users in the UK are paying for speeds that they never receive, according to data released by Ofcom and price comparison site Uswitch.com. The data reveals that businesses and individuals that pay for a premium service of 8 Megabit per second (Mbps) actually receive an average of just 3.9Mbps. Nearly one fifth of UK broadband customers on an 8 bps connection actually receive le... more

Recession leading to more payment excuses
Small business owners need to be aware that the recession is producing more variation in excuses made by companies for failing to pay on time, according to research from credit control specialist firm Cashflow Protector. The research found that the most popular delaying tactics are firms saying that they are filing for bankruptcy, that they have moved offices and that the cheque is in the post.... more

Health and safety ‘causing confusion’
Small and medium-sized business are unsure about how to best implement health and safety measures because of confusing mixed messages, according to the Risk and Regulation Advisory Council (RRAC). The RRAC have stated that contradictory messages from the government, lawyers and insurance companies has led to a lack of confidence among small firm owners over how to manage risk and health and sa... more

Small firms warned over VAT change
Millions of small businesses face a potentially crippling tax bill because of confusion about changes in VAT, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB claim that many small companies are confused about how much tax they should be paying from next year, when VAT reverts to 15% from 17.5% on the 1st of January 2010. "Companies will be suffocated by further red tape as a r... more

Rise in business libel cases
Businesses are increasingly using courts to defend their reputation, according to new figures released by legal publisher Sweet & Maxwell. According to the figures, the number of defamation cases being brought to courts by companies increased from 59 to 78 in the last year. However, with the majority of cases being settled privately before they reach court the actual number of cases is subst... more

Darling to press banks over lending
Chancellor Alistair Darling will meet the chairmen and chief executives of Britain's largest banks over concerns that lenders are still failing to provide adequate capital to businesses. Representatives from Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Barclays will be present at a meeting with the Chancellor today. Following the government's £37bn bank bailout and interest rates being held at ... more

Number of new cars made drops 30%
The number of new cars made in the UK declined 30% in June compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). However, the decline is the smallest of the year so far, and despite the recession the pace of output decline is also slowing. The government's car scrappage scheme - which gives car buyers a £2,000 discount ... more