Economy

Potential government measures to help more people get on the housing ladder are unlikely to help first-time buyers. sirtravelalot/Shutterstock UK borrowers may see the return of larger, longer-term loans as the government plans a comprehensive review of the mortgage market with the aim of boosting access to finance for first-time buyers. Rather than addressing the […]

Holidaymakers and commuters are expecting significant disruption this summer following a recent surge in strike action in the UK and Europe. UK train drivers are the latest group to consider striking in what could be the first national rail strike in more than 25 years Strikes – a withdrawal of labour from employers – have […]

Immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, world oil prices jumped above US$100 per barrel, hitting US$130 for Brent crude on March 8. The prevailing fear was that substantial Russian supplies would be lost to the world market either through western sanctions or a voluntary decision by Moscow in retaliation to western support for Ukraine. This […]

Immediate reactions to announcements about the future can significantly affect the future economy. Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock News of a big pay rise might see you booking the nearest fancy restaurant for a slap-up meal to celebrate, or encourage you to go on a shopping spree even before your raise hits your bank account. Recent research shows […]

Shutterstock/metamorworks Back in 2021, the world’s richest countries announced plans to agree and enforce a minimum rate of corporation tax. The idea was to solve the problem of large companies generating huge revenues but paying very little tax into the public purse. But the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently admitted that this […]

Russia’s recent default on its foreign debt – it’s first since 1918 – has been hailed as proof that the sanctions imposed by western governments since the invasion of Ukraine in February are working. A 30-day grace period on US$100 million (£82 million) in interest on two bonds ended on June 27 2022, with Russia’s […]

England's Beth Mead takes control. Shutterstock/Romain Biard Just over a hundred years ago, women in England were effectively banned from playing football. The Football Association ruled in 1921 that clubs were not allowed to let women play in their grounds, ensuring there could be no recognised league or organisation in which female players could practise […]

Do gender diversity initiatives reflect women's career aspirations? Jacob Lund/Shutterstock The gender gap in pay, positions and even pensions for working women is well-established, but research shows that a gender aspiration gap has also emerged in recent years. This is when women do not aspire to rise through the ranks in the same way as […]

In the US state of Maryland, employees at an Apple Store have voted to form a union. At the Towson store, 65 of the 110 employees voted in favour of the union. For years, Apple blocked the efforts of its employees. Now the company’s first union is being established – despite attempts at intimidation. The […]

Companies making redundancies should treat both dismissed employees and those that remain with compassion. Syda Productions/Shutterstock One of the biggest rail strikes in 30 years has been playing out in recent weeks as 40,000 workers protest the threat of job cuts. Their employer, Network Rail, wants to lay off up to 1,800 people as it […]

Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock A 2019 poll found that children would rather be YouTubers than astronauts. It made headlines and led to plenty of grumbling about “kids these days”. But it’s not surprising that young people – up to 1.3 million in the UK – want to make their income by creating social media content. […]

Employees and their organisations can gain from union membership, research shows. SFIO CRACHO/Shutterstock Over the past century, unions have successfully campaigned for a minimum wage, holiday and sickness pay, equal opportunity rights, maternity and paternity rights and a two-day weekend for British workers, among other benefits. With more than 40,000 UK rail workers participating in […]