Labour Market
This coverage examines the UK labour market as it pertains to retail operations. Reporting includes wage trends, hiring challenges, staffing strategies, staff training and retention, and regulatory changes — all analysed for their impact on store performance, service quality, and workforce planning. The content is tailored for retail HR managers, operations directors, and executives overseeing staff strategy and cost control.
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Nov- 2025 -18 NovemberEconomy
Consumer confidence drops to four-month low ahead of Autumn Budget
UK consumer sentiment has weakened in November as households reported greater strain on finances and growing uncertainty ahead of the Autumn Budget, according to the latest S&P Global UK Consumer Sentiment Index. The index, which tracks financial wellbeing, labour market conditions, spending, savings and debt, fell to 45.2 in November…
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13 NovemberEconomy
UK economy slows to 0.1% in third quarter
The UK’s economic growth slowed to 0.1% in the third quarter, falling short of expectations from City analysts and the Bank of England (BoE). The Office for National Statistics said monthly output slipped 0.1% in September, with earlier figures for July and August revised down. The data arrives ahead of…
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Sep- 2025 -16 SeptemberEconomy
Retail jobs hit record low, ONS data shows
The wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles sector lost over 61,000 payrolled employees since August 2024, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics. Alongside this, the median pay for this sector was £2084 per month in August 2025, below the UK median of £2568. Furthermore,…
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Aug- 2025 -14 AugustEconomy
UK quarterly GDP beats expectations despite slowdown
UK GDP grew 0.3% in the three months to June, behind the 0.7% it grew in the first quarter, as a result of US tariffs and higher business costs, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). However, it is better than expected growth as economists polled by…
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12 AugustEconomy
Retail sales up 2.5% in July despite job losses and store closures
Retail sales in the UK rose 2.5% in the four weeks ended 2 August against a growth of 0.5% in July 2024, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). As part of this increase, food sales rose 3.9% year-on-year in July, beating a tough comparative of…
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7 AugustEconomy
BoE cuts interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4%, down from the previous rate of 4.25%, marking the fifth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting today (7 August), the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5 to 4 to…
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Jul- 2025 -16 JulyEconomy
Inflation jumps to 18-month high of 3.6% in June
Inflation unexpectedly increased to a near 18-month high of 3.6% in June, driven by the rising cost of transport and food, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure is the highest recorded since January 2024, when the rate was 4.0%. On a monthly…
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Feb- 2025 -13 FebruarySupermarkets
Tesco commits to 1,500 apprenticeships by 2027
Tesco has pledged to expand its Stronger Starts Apprenticeship programme, providing 1,500 apprenticeship opportunities for young people by 2027, following National Apprenticeship Week. The initiative comes as part of Tesco’s ongoing efforts to help tackle the challenge of youth unemployment in England and remove the barriers many young people face…
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Nov- 2024 -7 NovemberEconomy
Bank of England cuts interest rates to 4.75%
The Bank of England has cut interest rates for the second time this year, with rates now cut to 4.75%. The bank voted by a majority of 8–1 to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.75%. One member preferred to maintain the previous rate of 5%. It had previously…
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Aug- 2024 -1 AugustEconomy
BoE cuts interest rates for first time in 4 years
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates for the first time in four years, with the rate falling to 5%. The bank voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5%, marking the first fall in inflation since March 2020, where…
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