Category: JOBS

UK job vacancies have fallen to a five year low and wage growth is cooling, which hints at a slower domestic cycle but also steadier interest rates. That mix can change how investors look at UK small and mid caps that are closely tied to everyday spending. This article explores what that shift might mean for risk and reward and reveals three stocks exposed to this labour market story. The three stocks covered below are just a starting sample, and the full screen surfaced 9 more UK small and mid caps with equally interesting domestic stories that are not discussed here. To identify and analyze these additional opportunities directly, head into the UK Small- and Mid-Cap Domestic Cyclicals screener. Ultimate Products (AIM:ULTP) Ultimate Products is a £46 million Oldham based supplier of value branded household goods, selling everything from Beldray vacuum cleaners to Salter kitchen kit through major UK retailers and online. It earns about £145 million in revenue from...

Private sector wage growth has fallen to its weakest level since the Covid pandemic, as new figures reveal mounting pressure on Britain’s jobs market. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Tuesday show that annual growth in regular private sector earnings slowed to 2.8 per cent in the three months to June 2026. By comparison, regular earnings growth in the public sector stood at 6.1 per cent over the same period. The ONS has cautioned that public sector figures continue to be affected by differences in the timing of pay awards this year. Across the economy as a whole, annual growth in regular earnings, excluding bonuses, was 3.5 per cent in the three months to June, while total earnings including bonuses increased by 4.1 per cent. The latest figures also show that unemployment remained at 4.9 per cent among people aged 16 and over during April to June. The rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier, although it...

Vacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen back again while wage growth in the private sector has hit a near six-year low, new figures show.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its early estimates show there were around 6,000 fewer vacancies between May and July, compared with February to April.This brings the level of vacancies down to 707,000, the lowest in more than five years or, outside of the Covid pandemic years, since 2014.Vacancies slumped earlier in the year in a sign that firms were pulling back hiring in the face of economic uncertainty and higher wage costs.The latest ONS survey found that small firms may not be recruiting because of increased labour costs and other business expenses.The data also revealed that regular average wage growth in the UK’s private sector fell to 2.8% in the three months to June – the lowest level since the three months to October 2020.Early estimates of vacancies in the UK suggest a...

ING’s Chris Turner reports a firmer EUR/GBP after UK labour data, with economist James Smith highlighting a cool jobs market and minimal wage pressures, implying little impetus for Bank of England hikes this year. Sterling money markets still price 60bp of BoE tightening into next year, which Turner expects to be gradually priced out, with EUR/GBP biased toward 0.8570/0.8580.Jobs data temper BoE expectations"EUR/GBP has opened up a little firmer on the release of the latest jobs data.""Nothing particularly earth-shattering in the latest UK jobs figures. Payrolled employment is down a touch – though this masks big differences between government (which is still actively hiring), consumer services (where job numbers are consistently falling and the pace of decline is getting worse) and the remaining private sector, which is flatlining.""The unemployment rate is up a touch, though the ONS has already revealed there are temporary sampling issues with the labour force survey underpinning it (on top of the well-publicised existing problems), so...

Vacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen to the lowest level since 2014, other than during Covid, with 6,000 fewer openings between May and July compared to the three months to April. While the overall unemployment picture remains steady at 4.9 per cent, private sector pay growth has also fallen to a six-year low as the British economy struggles to escape concerns over the increase in cost of labour. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said its early estimates brings the level of job vacancies down to the lowest in more than five years, having slumped earlier in the year. In total, 707,000 job vacancies remained open. The ONS said its survey found that small firms may not be recruiting because of increased labour costs and other business expenses....

Documents reveal for the first time events surrounding the collapse of the company founded in 1834 with the closure of all 168 stores, and that unsecured creditors face losing tens of millions of pounds. Recently lodged papers on M&Co, which started its life in Paisley as a pawnbroker before entering retail in 1953 as Mackays by family owners Len and Ian McGeoch, show that more than 600 unsecured creditors will lose more than £33m. New documents show the case moved from administration to dissolution in June and administrators' reports set out the steps leading to the failure of the business. UK high street retail giant collapsed with 168 stores closed and 1,800 jobs lost (Image: Getty Images) Adele Macleod, Gavin Park and Robert Harding, of Teneo, were earlier appointed joint administrators in the second such event. The firm first fell into administration during the pandemic with 47 stores and 380 jobs lost at the time. ...

The number of employed people in the United Kingdom increased by 83 thousand to 34.469 million in the three months to June 2026, following a gain of 147 thousand in the previous period.The increase was the smallest since February, reflecting a decline in part-time employment that partly offset continued growth in full-time jobs.Compared with a year earlier, employment rose by 253 thousand, driven by increases in both full-time employees and part-time self-employed workers.The employment rate for people aged 16 to 64 stood at 75.1%, extending the broadly stable trend seen since mid-2024, while the rate for those aged 65 and over stood at 13.3%.By gender, the employment rate remained higher for men at 64.2%, compared with 57.4% for women.Meanwhile, the number of people holding second jobs increased over the quarter to 1.293 million, representing 3.7% of total employment. Source link...

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreVacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen...

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreVacancies in the UK jobs market have fallen...