Business News Articles

Banks start interest rate rise
Three banks have raised mortgage interest rates in response to the continued uncertainty in financial stock markets amid fears the US sub-prime loan crisis could hit the UK.... more

Interest rates held at 5.75%
The Bank of England has voted to hold UK interest rates at 5.75 per cent for the third consecutive month.... more

Pay hike sparks rate rise fears
Wages in the UK grew at a faster than expected rate between May and July as unemployment levels fell, figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed.... more

Bleak outlook for UK economy
The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has warned that economic growth in the UK is likely to slow and inflation could rise.... more

Business confident over economy
UK business is coping with the economic fallout following the recent credit crisis and run on Northern Rock, according to a report by BDO Stoy Hayward.... more

SMEs move to on-demand software
Small businesses are the most prolific users of web-based business software applications but the majority still prefer to own their own packages.... more

Employment figures still rising
The amount of people claiming jobless benefits has sunk to a 32-year low despite growing concerns over companies’ long-term recruitment plans. The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance dropped by 11,100 in November to a total of 813,000, making it the lowest on record since June 1975. ... more

Sales slump in November
Retail sales in the UK saw their biggest monthly fall since the start of the year in November, normally one of the strongest months of the year. Figures from Mastercard suggest retail sales growth fell to 4% in the 12-month period from last November from 4.5% in October. ... more

Hiring outlook lowest for six years
UK companies expect to take on staff at the slowest rate in six years following the economic downturn, recruitment company Manpower claims. The balance of those looking to hire rather than fire over the next quarter was down by almost half on the same period in 2007, with financial and business services firms the most pessimistic. ... more

One-third of staff paid late
Over a third of UK workers are regularly paid late by their employer, according to new research. The survey found 36% of staff are paid late at least five times a year and 68% claim they have been paid the wrong amount on more than one occasion.... more