Category Archive Business

100,000 young people join Kickstart scheme as vacancies hit a new record

As the job vacancies in the UK hit another record and unemployment falls again, many young people have taken their first steps on the employment ladder.

More than 100,000 young people have so far started new roles under the Government’s £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme, latest figures show.

It comes as new figures from the Office for National Statistic (ONS) show that the end of the furlough scheme in September does not appear to have led to a rise in unemployment, while the number of workers on payrolls jumped by 160,000 in October. Job vacancies also hit a new high of 1.17 million.

How does the programme work?

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How can Britain double its exports?

Yesterday, at the Global Investment Summit 2021, ministers vowed that Britain can double its exports to show off the best of its business with a new ‘ground-breaking’ plan of action.

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New export scheme to help businesses capitalise on rapidly growing green economy

A new global trading scheme will help to connect UK exporters with international opportunities, it has been announced.

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Small businesses call for Government support to tackle climate change

Now the world leaders have departed the stage from the COP26 summit in Glasgow, businesses are looking to adjust to a more sustainable future.

According to new research, many are addressing energy usage, increasing recycling and investing in microgeneration, but only a third of those have a formal plan to tackle climate change within their business.

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The economy or climate change – what are companies focused on?

According to a recent survey of FTSE 350 companies, British directors and heads of businesses are not only optimistic about the UK economy and its recovery, but they are also much more focused on climate change than before.

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More than 400,000 employers supported by furlough scheme in last month of operation, figures reveal

More than one million workers and over 400,000 employers were still supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in its last month of operation, the latest figures reveal.

The report, published by HM Treasury, suggests that businesses need continued support as they enter into the recovery phase of the pandemic.

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Cautious welcome for Chancellor’s cut in business rates

The hospitality and retail industries have welcomed the business rates cut announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in his recent Autumn Budget.

Restaurants, bars, shops and gyms will benefit from a temporary 50 percent cut in their business rates, offering welcome relief to those that have been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But any hope of a move to keep VAT at 12.5 per cent for the hospitality and leisure sector were dashed however, and the rate will revert to 20 per cent in April.

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Controversial basis period reforms delayed by one year, Government announces

Controversial changes to the basis period rules will be pushed back to 2024, the Government has announced.

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How will the National Minimum Wage increase impact my business?

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) will increase across all age groups from next year, the Chancellor has announced.

If you are an employer, here’s what you need to know.

What’s changing?

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Autumn Budget 2021

With the Speaker of the House of Commons by tradition not presiding over the Budget, the Chancellor might have hoped he would escape a rebuke over the number of important announcements disclosed to the media in advance.

That was not to be, with the Chancellor instead receiving a ticking-off from Dame Eleanor Laing, the Chairman of Ways and Means, who takes charge on Budget day.

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