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UK employers are continuing to scale back recruitment as rising employment costs and economic uncertainty weigh on hiring, research has revealed.Job postings are down 11 per cent since the start of the year and now stand 32 per cent below their February 2020 pre-pandemic baseline, according to Indeed's Mid-Year UK Labour Market Update report. Hiring has weakened across most occupational categories, with only a handful of technology, engineering and healthcare roles recording year-on-year growth.Labour market to remain cool in 2026, research suggestsEntry-level job postings fall to lowest level in five years, data findsUnemployment on the rise while vacancies drop, latest ONS figures showThe UK labour market remains under sustained pressure, according to Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed.“Hiring demand is falling across most parts of the economy, while posted wage growth is gradually cooling,” he said. “That is particularly challenging for graduates and younger workers, who are competing for fewer opportunities to gain an initial foothold.”The slowdown comes as youth unemployment...

Britain will be better protected from undersea threats and hundreds of jobs will be secured through a new £135 million contract to maintain and repair Royal Navy torpedo weapons.  Torpedoes are one of the Royal Navy's most important tools for keeping the UK safe at sea. Without them, Britain's ability to defend its waters, protect trade routes and maintain its nuclear deterrent would be at risk. The contract will ensure sailors and submariners always have reliable, battle-ready equipment when they need it.  Awarded to BAE Systems, the Torpedo Repair and Maintenance (TRAM) contract directly supports 150 highly skilled engineering and technician jobs at the company including 100 in Portsmouth and 50 more across Edinburgh, Chelmsford and near Glasgow. A further 165 jobs are supported through BAE's UK supply chain.  The investment forms part of the government's commitment to using defence spending to drive economic growth, creating well-paid, long-term jobs in advanced manufacturing and engineering across the UK.  Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said: “This is defence spending doing exactly what it should – keeping...

Government backs industry to create new British jobs and support local communities with new weighting in public contracts. Organisations will now be assessed on how they help local people develop new skills and support young people into apprenticeships or work placements. Other areas businesses had to prove they were acting on will be scrapped, making it easier for smaller firms to bid for contracts. Businesses bidding for government contracts - a market worth £90bn per year - will be judged on their commitment to creating high-quality British jobs, tackling local skills shortages, and supporting young people into apprenticeships and work placements. The Government wants every young person to have the chance to earn or learn. New rules will  double the importance of creating local benefits when the government buys goods or services - ensuring spending directly creates training, work experience, and jobs in every postcode. Under the changes, the score for bringing benefits to the local community will be raised from...

Investment will support over 1,800 high-value manufacturing jobs, delivering on the Prime Minister’s mission for good growth in every postcode. Almost £65m of government funding, matched by industry, will drive cutting-edge zero-emission projects, from self-driving cars to more affordable EVs. Modern Industrial Strategy is bringing business and science together to drive British innovation, boost reindustrialisation and cement the UK’s leading role in advanced manufacturing. Britain’s automotive sector is set to benefit from nearly £130 million of investment to ramp up cutting-edge new zero emission vehicle technologies and support skilled jobs nationwide as the government focuses on delivering good growth in every postcode. Delivered through the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the funding will support over 1,800 jobs - and thousands more in the supply chain - across the UK, helping to put more money in people’s pockets and ensure Britain is better...

LONDON: Hiring at British businesses is holding steady, ending a downturn stretching back to the Liz Truss crisis in 2022, according to a closely watched survey.The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG hailed the improvement as a major “milestone” after 45 months of contraction since the market-crashing budget that cost the-then prime minister her job.Many employers pressed ahead with new projects last month despite uncertainty over the outlook, temporary vacancies rose for the first time in two years and pay growth ticked up, the report published yesterday found.Meanwhile, demand for full-time workers declined at a slower pace.It capped the longest downturn in permanent staff placements since records began in 1997. Firms appear to be moving past a period marked by increases in employment costs, political upheaval at home, US trade disputes and the shock inflicted by the Iran war. “Rays of light are beginning to break through for the job market,” said Maxine Bligh, chief membership and innovation officer at...

Since the late 1990s, debates around whether skilled immigrants, including Indians, take local jobs have surfaced in several Western countries. From doctors and engineers to scientists and software professionals, some of India's brightest minds have immigrated in search of higher pay and better opportunities.While people in India debated the then-emerging concept of "brain drain," anti-immigration groups and politicians in some countries began opposing the influx of Indians into various professional sectors.More than 25 years later, the debate continues to make headlines. With the rise of the Internet, people have become increasingly vocal about their opinions, often expressing them without filters and influencing like-minded individuals.The result has been social friction, online and offline hostility towards Indians, discrimination against South Asians, and debates around stricter visa policies. ...

Chattanooga Times Free Press homepage screenshot on 4 August 2026. Picture: Press Gazette screenshot Walmart’s gaming outlet Restart has laid off its five-strong editorial team around 18 months after launch while Good Housekeeping is reported to have undergone a “small round” of layoffs. The Chattanooga Times Free Press laid off 50 staff including editors and reporters after the paper’s ownership changed hands. Buzzfeed is cutting one-third of its staff after the company’s takeover by businessman Byron Allen. It follows GB News also proposing to cut around one-third of staff after developing “groundbreaking” automated workflows. The Associated Press has reduced its editorial staff by 60 people through a mixture of voluntary buyouts and layoffs. The BBC has told staff it plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, equating to around one in ten staff members. CBS News previously said it would...

The plans, outlined by the Cabinet Office last Wednesday, are well-intentioned and could help the government achieve its aims of stimulating growth across the UK, according to Dr Totis Kotsonis of Pinsent Masons, but the public procurement and international trade expert said government departments will need to take care to formulate their procurements reflecting the new “social value model” in a way that accords with the UK’s international commitments. The new rules, earmarked to take effect from 1 January 2027, are detailed in a new procurement policy note (PPN) (6-page / 141KB PDF) and will apply to certain procurements run by central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies – specifically, where the total contract value is £1 million or more and the procurement has been commenced under the Procurement Act 2023. Under the changes, the procuring authorities would have to select one of just two “delivery outcomes” set out in the PPN – down from eight under the previous...

Up to 25 jobs are set to be created after a major offshore wind contract was awarded.ScottishPower Renewables has awarded a contract to RES to deliver the Safety from the System and Operational Control services for the East Anglia TWO windfarm, supporting 25 specialist roles in the Lowestoft and Ipswich areas.RES plans to recruit a dedicated high-voltage operations team for the project, which is expected to begin in 2027.Simon Deacon, regional O&M director for northern Europe and global offshore director at RES, said: "Winning this award for East Anglia TWO is exactly the kind of recognition that matters most – not just a contract, but a clear signal that how we manage safety in complex high-voltage environments builds lasting trust."Our people have delivered consistently on East Anglia THREE, and we look forward to carrying the same standards and the same rigour as we grow our East Anglia TWO team and get going from 2027."The "Safety from the System" service ensures...