Nairalanceblog

AI usage is measured in "tokens", which are small chunks of text that AI systems use to understand, analyse and generate language. On average, one token is roughly equivalent to three-quarters of an English word.There have been astonishing increases in AI use in 2026, and the increase in token use has vastly outweighed the declining “per token cost”.The world's top companies that are using AI had deployed "token leaderboards" to try to get their employees to create as much gain in productivity as possible from the most advanced models.Trillions, and sometimes thousands of trillions of tokens (quadrillions) have been used over the past few months primarily for “agentic use”, which is for agents that can perform tasks automatically. The problem here is that incredible bills were racked up, so much so that many of those companies have now begun to ration the use of these models.This is important. It might show that there are limits to how much work could...

South Africans working from home are increasingly finding themselves employed not by companies in Johannesburg or Cape Town, but by businesses thousands of kilometres away in the UK. And for local job seekers, the trend could mean access to better-paying opportunities without having to leave South Africa. Job Crystal CEO Sasha Knott says the recruitment company is seeing growing demand from international businesses looking to hire South Africans to work remotely. “We're finding more and more are working for international companies,” Knott said. She said the trend was particularly noticeable among UK businesses hiring South Africans, and the opportunities were no longer confined to the technology sector. “We find it in finance, sales, marketing; a whole range of different industries and different kinds of jobs where people are working from home remotely.” RELATED: More global employers recruiting South Africans as skills shortages growWhy UK companies are hiring South Africans For international employers, South Africa offers an attractive combination: skilled and educated workers at a lower cost...

Expanding Heathrow airport will take thousands of jobs from other regions of the UK, including almost 10,000 from the West Midlands alone, according to an analysis of the government’s own forecasts.An economic paper published by the Department for Transport last month shows that airports in England and Wales are likely to lose millions of passengers if Heathrow builds a third runway, in a significant blow to regional jobs.Birmingham airport alone is set to lose out on 7.5 million passengers a year by 2050 – a decrease that equates to about 9,500 jobs foregone at the airport and in its supply chain, according to economists.The findings could cast further doubt over the political support for the expansion, a little over a week after Andy Burnham became prime minister.The previous chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was a vocal champion of the plans for a third runway; while Burnham has said too much infrastructure spend goes on the south of England and has promised to...

Table of Contents Show more Show less Whether you’re a university student thinking about future employment, or a working professional contemplating a career change, many factors are at play when deciding which job to go for. And one is, undeniably, which career pays the most money. Of course, the right job for you depends on much more than just salary. But earning potential is likely to be a key concern, especially if you’ve invested time and money in higher education. So, what are the highest-paying jobs in the UK? To find out, we’ve used the latest data from the 2021 Census, the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Market Report and the House of Commons Research Library. Average pay in the UK As of March 2021 (the latest Census), there were 37.5 million people in England and Wales of working age (18 to 64) which equates to 62.9% of the population. Of those aged 16 and over, 29.4 million were recorded as being in work – or ‘economically...

What’s happening? The UK government is consulting on increasing the information on pay shared by UK employers. They are proposing that employers should be required to include pay and conditions information in job adverts or in writing to a candidate before an interview takes place. These are currently just proposals. No changes have yet been confirmed and any changes are likely to need an Act of Parliament and legislation. However, a consultation opened on 14 July 2026 and will close on 27 October 2026. The consultation sets out various proposals for how this could work in practice and invites comments from interested parties.   Its underlying aim appears to be encourage transparency in pay decisions and prevent pay discrimination occurring from the outset rather than waiting for it to be challenged through tribunal claims. There are two phases to the proposed reforms. Phase 1 = fix the current system. Phase 2 = make equal pay effective for all. Phase 1 includes requiring employees to publish...

UK employers are creating jobs for experienced staff with artificial intelligence skills and cutting back elsewhere, according to new figures that show how the technology is starting to create a two-track labor market.  British firms posted about 10% fewer vacancies this month than in January 2025, data from job search website Indeed shared with Bloomberg shows. However, the fall disguised wide disparities as firms increasingly adopt AI to cut costs and boost productivity.  Software developers, whose profession has been transformed by AI and suffered dramatic job losses since 2022, are back in demand with postings rising 14%. Much of the increase came from senior roles and those directly linked to AI.  Meanwhile, occupations such as IT and engineering, where AI enhances the value of experience by taking over routine tasks, are among the few that have held up since last summer.  Elsewhere, from retail and manufacturing to white-collar roles that are more vulnerable to substitution like accounting or marketing, vacancies have fallen by double...

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...