Business News Articles

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

Firms warned on Christmas theft
Business crime saw a 20% increase in the three months from July to September compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by Axa. The research suggests most of this is down to increasing levels of theft, which rose by 27% in the third quarter of 2007 compared to 2006, and 45% in the second quarter. ... more

Firms unaware of carbon footprint
Only a tiny minority of British businesses know how big their carbon footprint is, according to a survey by the Carbon Trust. While a quarter of companies said they were affected by climate change, only 1% had actually measured their emissions. ... more

Factory gate inflation soars
Factory gate prices have hit their highest level in 16 years due to rocketing petrol and food costs, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The organisation revealed that annual output price inflation hit 4.5% in November, up from 3.8% the previous month, as a result of high costs of raw materials. ... more

Bank cuts rates to 5.5%
The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 5.5% in a bid to boost the UK's fragile economy. Amid fears that the global credit crunch could spread to the economy as a whole, and concerns over the housing market, the Bank has reduced the rate of borrowing for the first time since August 2005... more

New money laundering rules
Changes to the money laundering regulations will affect certain businesses from 15th December, HMRC has warned. The new rules will affect trust or company service providers, which include recruitment agencies; company formation agents; suppliers of accommodation or correspondence addresses; telephone answering service providers; and people acting as professional trustees. ... more

Sales up but tough times ahead
High street sales rose slightly in November but the long-term view for the economy remains less positive. Figures revealed by the British Retail Consortium showed that like-for-like sales increased by 1.2% on October's figure, which was an 18-month low. ... more

Retailers warned on Xmas theft
UK retailers should be extra-vigilant against the threat of theft in the build-up to Christmas, according to a report by Checkpoint Retail... more

Staff more wasteful in the office
British workers are less green when it comes to saving energy and water at work than they are in their own homes, according to a study by Enviro-Fresh... more