Kerry Pearson, Restructuring and Insolvency Partner at UK firm Azets based in the North East said: Corporate Insolvencies “The number of corporate insolvencies in September (1,446) increased from 1,349 in August and 1,096 in July, and we expect this upward trend to continue now the government has withdrawn most of its corporate support measures.

With reports today that the Chancellor is considering a reduction in VAT on household energy bills in his autumn budget on 27 October, Sue Rathmell, partner at MHA, says it would be more environmentally friendly to use targeted subsidies than a general tax cut to help those in distress and a permanent VAT cut for the travel and hospitality sector would be a better move: “On balance cutti…

There is an economic thread running through the news currently, so, I caught up with Chris Wright, Partner and Head of Inflexion’s Manchester Office, to get his take on the PE world. Inflexion was founded over 20 years ago by John Hartz and Simon Turner, who still lead the private equity firm today.

The pandemic has thrust many people back on to the jobs market and into ‘career transition’. The furlough has ended and estimates are that it could put over a million people into the job search market. It’s quite a challenge to stand out from the crowd when looking for a new job. We hear people who have applied for hundreds of jobs and not getting a response or even an acknowledgement.

The Institute of Directors has today published data showing that the negative impact of regulation is only exceeded by that of the Coronavirus pandemic and employment taxes, and has called for the Government to do a better job in shaping a more business-friendly regulatory framework.

61% of firms overall attempted to recruit in Q2, highest since Q2 2018 and 77% of those who attempted to recruit reported difficulties, a 7-point rise on Q2. 92% of firms in the hotels and catering sector reported difficulties, while 75% of service sector firms said likewise, both the highest response rates on record for the dataset going back to 1997

Business volumes rose for a second consecutive quarter in the three months to September, according to the latest CBI/PWC Financial Services Survey. Although growth slowed compared with the previous quarter, business volumes are expected to rise at a stronger pace in the three months ahead.

A report, commissioned by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), shows for the first time the value of the UK’s night time cultural economy, which was 1.6% of GDP - or £36.4bn – in 2019. This contribution accounted for 425,000 jobs across the UK.

Ambitious school leavers looking for exciting careers should consider apprenticeships as an alternative to increasingly costly degrees. That’s the verdict of engineer Matt Firth from Harrogate Spring Water after recent figures from the OECD suggested England has the highest university tuition fees in the developed world.

Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD), which has a large office in Leeds, is amongst the first law firms in the UK to announce its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

The three months to August saw the unemployment rate decline to 4.5% and the number in work climb further, despite over one million people coming off furlough during that period. And job vacancies rose to a new record. Employers’ appetites for workers suggests that any rise in joblessness prompted by the end of the furlough scheme will be modest.

Consumer confidence falls -2.3 points to level last seen April 2021 (110.5). Outlook on household finances worsens considerably, dropping 10.7 points. Many households also report finances deteriorating in past month. Sentiment among homeowners remains stable despite stamp duty cut ending. Expectations for job security and business activity worsen somewhat.

Andrew Hemingway is the Commercial Director at ITW ROCOL, whose headquarters are in Leeds, are a market leader in the manufacture of high-performance lubricants for some of the most challenging operations and applications in industry. Andrew spent nine years in the USA and four years in Germany working in commercial, sales and marketing roles before returning to the UK in 2015.

Mark Green, Head of Procurement at Happy Linen Company, has outlined how the bedding industry, which sees its highest demand during Christmas, is facing stocking issues and higher cotton prices for lower quality.

The recent annual Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org found that the gap between women and men who say they are burned out has nearly doubled in the last year. In the US survey, 42% of women and 35% of men reported feeling burned out often or almost always in 2021, compared to 32% of women and 28% of men last year.

As a platform for businesses to easily manage their GDPR compliance and cyber security, Naq Cyber, helps SMEs across the UK understand new GDPR legislation or law changes that can impact their business.

Permanent staff appointments rise at unprecedented rate Job vacancies continue to rise sharply, whilst pay pressures hit survey record as firms look to entice talent

Three quarters of businesses lack confidence that their strategy is future-proof and able to withstand socioeconomic challenges. 70% of businesses only planning nine months ahead, which could derail their growth and innovation ambitions with two fifths are only planning six months in advance.More than three quarters shared they’re likely to test out new business ideas or innovate in 2021-2022. Yet 21% of companies recognise a lack of strategic planning will mean they’re unable to develop and launch new products or services.

With technology continuing to transform the way we live and work, manufacturers are increasingly looking at ways in which they can drive efficiencies, ramp up production and lead more sustainable working practices, particularly in light of the challenges faced amongst COVID-19.

Business activity improving as more firms report increased domestic sales (47%), the highest since the start of the crisis. Inflation expectations hit record highs as 62% of manufacturers expect their prices to rise in the next three months and one in five firms reported a decrease in cashflow, with a further two fifths seeing no improvement. Over half (52%) of respondents cited inflation as an increased cause of concern

71% of UK businesses to expand their workforce