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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Jul- 2022 -11 JulyEconomy
53% of retail workers say jobs are more demanding, report finds
Over half (53%) of UK retail workers described their jobs as demanding, with the amount of work they are expected to complete as “being worse than the onset of Covid”, according to YOOBIC’s ‘2022 State of the Frontline Employee Experience’ survey. It found that 63% of retail staff also described…
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Jun- 2022 -27 JuneEconomy
Cost of living crisis could lead to ‘mild recession’, report warns
There is a rising risk of the UK economy falling into a “mild recession” due to the cost of living crisis, according to the latest economic report from KPMG. In its quarterly report, the ‘Big Four’ accounting firm said that the UK economy faces a number of global and domestic…
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16 JuneEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 1.25%
The Bank of England’s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee has voted to raise interest from 1% to 1.25% – marking its fifth rise in a row as it bids to offset the impact of rising inflation. The Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of 6-3 to increase the rate to…
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14 JuneEconomy
UK unemployment rate hits almost 50-year low
The UK unemployment rate is close to a 50-year low point, having dropped by 0.2% to 3.8% for February to April 2022, and those unemployed for up to six months increased over this three-month period, marking the largest increase since late 2020. According to the Office for National Statistics, the…
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Apr- 2022 -29 AprilNews
Amazon shares tumble amid first loss since 2015
Amazon shares have taken a 10% hit after reporting a net loss of $3.8bn (£3.02bn) in the first quarter ended 31 March 2022 (Q1), due to inflationary and supply chain pressures, marking its first loss since 2015. The net loss includes a pre-tax valuation loss of $7.6bn (£6.05bn), and Amazon’s…
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Mar- 2022 -17 MarchEconomy
BoE raises interest rates to 0.75%
The Bank of England has raised interest rates back to the pre-pandemic level of 0.75% as it tries to mitigate the effect of the rising costs of living and the impact that the conflict in Ukraine is having on the global economy. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted with a…
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Feb- 2022 -24 FebruaryComment
Why retail sector leaders need to adopt a transformational mindset
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold disruption to the business world, turning it completely on its head. It has changed long-established working practices, the fortunes of entire industries and even deeply embedded mindsets. With all the uncertainty that began in early 2020, some retail leaders have, quite understandably, lost a…
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15 FebruaryEconomy
UK labour market sees recovery as unemployment falls to 4.1%
The UK labour market has seen “continuing recovery” as the unemployment rate decreased by 0.2% on the quarter to 4.1%, and employment rates increased by 0.1% in November 2021 to January 2022 to 75.5%. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the ratio of vacancies to every 100 employee…
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14 FebruaryNews
Employers set to award record pay rises in 2022
Employers have reported that the median basic pay increase in their organisation (excluding bonuses) in the 12 months to December 2022 will be 3%, the highest figure recorded in the last 10 years of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) reporting. The CIPD’s latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook,…
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8 FebruaryOnline & Digital
Ocado FY21 losses widen amid labour shortages and robotics roll-out
The Ocado Group has reported a loss before tax of £176.9m for the 52 weeks ending 28 November 2021 (FY21), down from £52.3m in FY20, following the group’s investment in robotics and AI technology and the opening of five global fulfilment centres. Ocado said it was hit by labour market…
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