Business News Articles

Retail Sales modest expansion
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Call charges confusion - Ofcom proposal
Proposals to tackle consumer concern and confusion over the cost of calling businesses and other organisations on numbers such as 03, 08, 09 and 118 were today published by Ofcom.... more

UK Inflation still rising
The Office for National Statistics said annual consumer price inflation rose to 3.3 percent in November from October's 3.2 percent, the 11th consecutive month that it has been more than one percentage point above the BoE's 2 percent target. ... more

Demand for debt advice could soar
A new report, produced by Dr John Gathergood, an economist at The University of Nottingham, warns that if independent forecasts are right and unemployment continues to rise the demand for debt advice by the middle of next year will exceed that seen at the peak of the financial crisis. ... more

Cloud Computing could give EU economic boost
Widespread adoption of cloud computing could give the top five EU economies a 763bn-euro boost over five years, new reports have announced. ... more

Government neglects SME needs
With SMEs typically contributing 50% of GDP and 60% of employment nationally,Regus has surveyed the opinions of SME owners globally in order to take the pulse of the entrepreneurial sector and uncover how entrepreneurs feel about the level of support their national governments and institutions are providing. ... more

BCC: Growth in exports must accelerate
Commenting on the UK trade figures for October published today by the ONS, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said: “These figures are slightly disappointing as the global trade deficit was larger than expected. Although the value of exports is high, the underlying volume was lower, while underlying imports rose strongly. ... more

More flexibility for pension savers
Ministers are preparing to announce changes to the rules on pensions that they insist will allow increased freedom for pension savers. From April, there will be no obligation to buy an annuity from an insurance company with money saved in a pension. ... more

Gender pay gap narrows says the ONS
Official figure released by the Office of National Statistics show the gender pay gap has narrowed as women have seen bigger pay increases in 2010. The gap between men and women‚s median pay shrunk to a 10.2% gap-the closest since figures started in 1997. ... more

Apprenticeship schemes are vital
Business Secretary Vince Cable has defended his decision to increase tuition fees in favour of preserving apprenticeships and skills schemes. Unemployment in the UK is rising and with tuition fees set to increase, skills training and apprenticeships are vital in ensuring that the financial sector remains successful. ... more