UK manufacturing SMEs are seeing sharply different performance across the country, as new Unleashed research reveals. Small and medium businesses (SMEs) account for 99% of UK manufacturing but vary significantly in profitability, supply chain performance and growth potential across regions, according to new research from enterprise software company Unleashed. The company’s UK Regional Manufacturing Report analysed Q1 2026 operational data … Continued

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has called on the new Prime Minister to enable businesses to drive the economic recovery he wants. Redesigning planned employment reforms, supply-side reform of the economy and reducing the tax and regulatory burden on employing people will be vital to achieving this. While temporary billings are growing at their … Continued

Summary The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs survey indicated that permanent staff hiring moved closer to stabilisation in February, while temp billings fell only modestly. At the same time, demand for workers declined at the slowest rate in nine months, driven by a weaker reduction in permanent vacancies. Pay pressures eased since … Continued

The UK’s embattled manufacturing sector took another small step towards recovery at the end of 2025 thanks to an influx of new orders. The latest UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from S&P Global UK hit a 15-month high as the industry continued to grow for the second consecutive month. The PMI reading hit 50.6, up from 50.2 … Continued

Economic uncertainty and a lack of bold growth strategies from successive governments are squeezing the job market, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s latest Recruitment Industry Status Report (RISR). Since 2024, the job market has tightened, with fewer placements and shorter contracts, but flexible and temporary work remains a critical pillar to meeting people’s … Continued

The United Kingdom has been named one of the world’s hardest-working countries in a new international ranking that suggests rising numbers of workers are taking on second jobs, driven by flexible hours and growing financial pressure. Research conducted by international SEO agency Loopex Digital analysed workforce data across major economies to determine which populations are … Continued

Remembering all who gave so much for our freedom. Lest we forget.

The UK economy experienced a glimmer of “hope” in October as manufacturing sprang back to life, bringing an end to a year-long decline. The latest ‘flash’ PMI from S&P Global revealed business activity leapt to a two-month peak of 51.1, climbing from 50.1 in September, as reported by City AM. This expansion was fuelled by a dramatic recovery … Continued

Job vacancies increased across the UK in September as employers restarted recruitment after the summer lull, according to the latest Labour Market Tracker from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). The data suggests signs of stability returning to hiring following a weaker performance a year earlier. The REC, which represents the UK’s recruitment industry, reported 742,967 … Continued

A slowdown across the UK’s construction sector eased last month as housebuilding activity picked up pace, despite facing the longest stretch of job cutting since the pandemic, a new survey shows. The latest S&P Global UK construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a reading of 46.2 in September, up from 45.5 in August and its … Continued