Category: JOBS

M&Co, which was founded in 1834 and operated 168 stores across the UK, owed more than £46 million at the time of its collapse. The clothing retailer closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores across the UK in spring 2023 after going into administration, including past local branches in places like Didcot, Abingdon, and Kidlington Newly published documents reveal that more than 600 unsecured creditors will lose more than £33 million, with the case moving from administration to dissolution in June. READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson gives update on future as he admits 'too difficult' Adele Macleod, Gavin Park and Robert Harding of Teneo were appointed joint administrators, marking the second time the company had entered administration. M&Co first entered administration during the pandemic, resulting in the loss of 47 stores and 380 jobs. The company was bought back by the founding family, but administrators were once again appointed in 2022. In their latest report,...

M&Co, which was founded in 1834 and operated 168 stores across the UK, owed more than £46 million at the time of its collapse. The clothing retailer closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores across the UK in spring 2023 after going into administration, including past local branches in places like Didcot, Abingdon, and Kidlington Newly published documents reveal that more than 600 unsecured creditors will lose more than £33 million, with the case moving from administration to dissolution in June. READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson gives update on future as he admits 'too difficult' Adele Macleod, Gavin Park and Robert Harding of Teneo were appointed joint administrators, marking the second time the company had entered administration. M&Co first entered administration during the pandemic, resulting in the loss of 47 stores and 380 jobs. The company was bought back by the founding family, but administrators were once again appointed in 2022. In their latest report,...

UK employers remain cautious about hiring, with recruitment intentions largely stagnant since spring 2025.The net employment balance – the difference between employers expecting staffing levels to rise and fall over the next three months – remains at +9, close to its lowest level outside the pandemic, according to the CIPD’s latest Labour Market Outlook.Only a quarter (26 per cent) of employers expect staffing levels to increase in the coming quarter, while 17 per cent anticipate a decrease, the survey found. 2026 labour market trends: hiring slowdown and AI disruptionLabour market to remain cool in 2026, research suggestsEntry-level job postings fall to lowest level in five years, data findsJames Cockett, senior labour market economist at the CIPD and author of the report, said the data suggested the UK labour market had "largely stopped moving". "Hiring has weakened, but redundancy levels haven't risen, leaving us in a 'low hire, low fire' environment that's increasingly looking like a 'new normal'," he said. "A stagnant labour market...

Businesses bidding for government contracts will have to meet fresh criteria over their contribution to UK jobs, local skills and opportunities for young people under new procurement rules announced by the government. The changes will double the weighting given to local community benefits in public contracts worth £5m or more, increasing it from 10% to 20%. Under the new rules, organisations bidding for government work will be assessed on their commitment to creating high-quality British jobs, tackling local skills shortages and supporting young people into apprenticeships and work placements. Bidders will be able to gain extra credit for creating local jobs that pay above the legal minimum and treat workers properly. They can also receive credit for helping to address local skills gaps through training, including 45 days of work experience. The government said the changes would specifically target support at young people not in education, employment or training (Neets), care leavers and individuals with long-term health conditions. First secretary of state Louise Haigh said:...

UK retailers are backing Saturday jobs and other flexible entry-level roles as a way to tackle rising youth unemployment, warning that higher employment costs and changes to employment law could reduce opportunities for young people entering the workforce. The call follows Alan Milburn's Young People and Work interim report, which identified the decline of the traditional Saturday job as part of a wider erosion of routes into employment. The government-commissioned review found that the "first rung" of the employment ladder has thinned, with more young people reaching adulthood without paid work experience. For retailers, the findings highlight a tension between government efforts to increase youth employment and concerns that the cost and regulation of employing people are making some entry-level jobs harder to provide. ...

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Consumer confidence took a step back in August as job security worsened to its weakest level for more than three years, according to new figures.The closely watched S&P Global UK consumer sentiment index slipped to 42.9 for the month, compared with a previous four-month high of 43.4 in July.Any reading below 50 indicates that sentiment remains broadly negative.Maryam Baluch, Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: “The recent better growth seen in the economy is failing to feed through to households.“The latest survey shows labour market concerns emerging as a growing drag on consumer confidence.”The latest survey showed that job security data dropped to a reading of 45.6, the lowest since April 2023.It was the third consecutive month where surveyed Britons highlighted increased concerns over the UK labour market.Later this week, the Office for National Statistics will unveil the latest official jobs market data, which has highlighted a continued slowdown in vacancies in recent months.Elsewhere, there was a slight improvement...

Retailers warn that higher costs and labour reforms could reduce flexible job opportunities. / Credit: SALMONNEGRO-STOCK via Shutterstock UK retailers are backing Saturday jobs and other flexible entry-level roles as a way to tackle rising youth unemployment, warning that higher employment costs and changes to employment law could reduce opportunities for young people entering the workforce. The call follows Alan Milburn’s Young...

Employers cut the number of job vacancies in June, according to official figures that highlight the UK’s “fragile” economic outlook amid the conflict in the Middle East.Job vacancies fell to 712,000 – almost half the level in 2022 – as employers put off hiring new staff in the three months to May, the Office for National Statistics said.Separate figures showed unemployment remained at the same level in May as in April, at 4.9%, showing the tough task ahead for Andy Burnham as he seeks to inject renewed vigour into the economy.The new prime minister has promised to raise living standards across all regions as part of a 10-year economic plan, due to be unveiled later this year, but the latest pay data showed private sector earnings growth dropped to 2.9% to leave the average rise in earnings, including bonuses, at 4.3%.Economists had forecast a rise in average pay with bonuses in the three months to May of 4.5%, up from...