Search Results for: economic

December 2, 2013

Mid-sized firms are unsung champions of the economic recovery says CBI

Medium-sized businesses (MSBs) are making a significant contribution to jobs and growth across the UK. Between March 2010 and March 2013 they have created 185,000 jobs, a 4.1 per cent increase compared with 1.9 per cent by large companies and 2.8 per cent by small firms. New CBI research published today shows that despite only accounting for 1.8 per cent of the UK private sector, MSBs, which employ between 50-499 people and have a turnover of £10-100 million, now employ 4.7 million people across the UK – 16 per cent of the total UK workforce. The CBI has launched #MSBMonday to boost recognition for MSBs and is calling on local government and policy makers to do more to recognise and support medium-sized businesses as their local champions. More →

October 25, 2013

Economic recovery, the changing psychological contract and the future of the office

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Workplace design

There has always been a link of one sort or another between the labour market and office design. So, as the UK’s unemployment statistics continue to fall, they remain moderately high and there continue to be structural changes in the nature of work, typified by this year’s debate about the growing use of zero hours contracts. You have to wonder what impact structural changes, levels of unemployment and redundancy (around 4 million in the UK since 2008) have had on the way we manage and design our workplaces. There is no doubt that the downturn combined with the structural changes in the way we work have had an effect on demand for commercial property, but what will it all mean in the longer term?

July 16, 2013

Corporate Real Estate executives predict strong global economic outlook

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property

The global economic outlook is strong for the second half of 2013, while the prospects for corporate growth and expansion are also increasing, according to the views of corporate executives surveyed in June for the new CoreNet Global Confidence Index. Nearly two-thirds (62.5%) rated their outlook on the global economy for the coming six months as optimistic to very optimistic, compared to a year ago. Most (72.4%) reported the likelihood that flexible, open workplace strategies will increase, while space per work setting and/or work settings per supported worker will be reduced.

March 6, 2013

Economic benefits of green buildings highlighted

by Sara Bean • Environment, Knowledge, News, Property

worldInHands

Green buildings can be delivered at a price comparable to conventional buildings, with investments recouped through operational cost savings and, with the right design features, create a more productive workplace, says the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC). A new report, which looked at the benefits from green buildings received by different stakeholders throughout the life cycle of a building, “synthesizes credible evidence from around the world on green buildings into one collective resource, and the evidence presented highlights that sustainable buildings provide tangible benefits and make clear business sense,” said Jane Henley, CEO of WorldGBC. More →

January 28, 2013

Economic boost for UK builders with Green Deal launch

by Sara Bean • Environment, News, Property

The Green Deal launches today to help improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s built environment by enabling householders and businesses to secure the up-front capital to make energy efficiency improvements to their buildings. Refurbishing existing buildings to new standards and turning them into good green assets has recently been identified as one of the best bets for the property sector in the year ahead and today UK-Green Building Council’s Paul King said the launch of the energy efficiency scheme could help create jobs and stimulate economic activity.

April 24, 2024

Large increase in the number of people who say they are experiencing burnout

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The number of Britons who say they are experiencing stress or burnout in the workplace doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to a poll from Indeed Flex. According to the survey, 92 percent of UK employees say they have experienced burnout or stress in the workplace during their careers. However the strain has grown rapidly as post-pandemic labour shortages intensified workloads. In 2023 the proportion of UK workers grappling with poor mental health skyrocketed to 37 percent, almost double the 19 percent who experienced problems during 2022. A fifth (19 percent) of workers say they have suffered from burnout or stress in 2024 so far. More →

April 23, 2024

Report sets out nine ways cities can reduce carbon emissions

by Jayne Smith • Cities, Environment, News

A report published by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation sets out what its authors claim are best practices developed by pioneer cities that are reducing carbon emissions from urban development projects. As cities grow in population and importance, urban construction will continue to gather pace. It is estimated that the global floor area is expected to double by 2060, the equivalent of building out New York City every month for the next 40 years. The report, Reducing Embodied Carbon in Cities: Nine Solutions for Greener Buildings and Communities, highlights nine innovative solutions for all phases of construction and demolition. More →

April 22, 2024

AI is not coming for your job. But it will make it better

by Barry Murphy • Comment, Technology, Workplace

“Artificial intelligence will outsmart humans, resolve all IT and business problems, and humans will not be needed in the workforce!” These are some of the most common misconceptions that too many companies and workforces currently have around AI and automation. To date, workforces have been inclined to broach AI with apprehension due to concerns that it will negatively affect or eliminate their jobs. Conversations have skewed towards the technology as a disruptive force, here to steal jobs and ultimately leave people redundant. A study found that 60 percent of workers are concerned about job loss in regards to working with Gen AI. Additionally, a further third worried that, despite AI being unable to completely replace them, it could make them less useful in the workplace. More →

April 22, 2024

Hybrid working ‘allows organisations to cut energy use by a fifth’

by Neil Franklin • Environment, Flexible working, News

Hybrid working has enabled UK businesses to cut energy usage by a fifth as they replace large city centre office space with smaller, more energy efficient spaces including flexible workspaces, according to a new report from IWG, whose brands including Spaces and Regus. surveyed more than 500 leaders and facilities managers at businesses that have adopted hybrid working policies. The findings revealed that average energy consumption in those companies has fallen by 19 percent since the introduction of hybrid working policies, benefiting both the environment and their bottom line. More →

April 17, 2024

AI may boost productivity, but we are already becoming reliant on it, and that’s a problem

by Marvin Gort • News, Technology, Workplace

Just ten years ago, AI systems couldn’t even classify images as well as humans. Now, they’re routinely outperforming people on a range of tasks, according to a new report from the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). The 2024 AI Index is the latest update to the annual analysis of trends in artificial intelligence. Led by a team of experts from academia and industry, it’s one of the most in-depth reports on the technology and its impact available. This year’s edition tracks research, development, technical performance, responsible practices, economics, policy, public opinion, and more. More →

April 15, 2024

West End gateway for Leeds takes shape with green light for McLaren’s mixed use neighbourhood

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Property

Leeds City Council has McLaren’s mixed use Wellington Square development of build-to-rent homes and commercial space in Leeds’ West End. The new neighbourhood, designed by Howells Architects, will transform a 2.47 acre site into a lively gateway to Leeds city centre with a landmark tower, high-quality new homes and innovative workspace in the city’s professional core and Innovation Arc, which establishes the area as a hub for research and innovation. More →

April 9, 2024

Microsoft announces new London AI research hub

by Jayne Smith • News, Property, Technology

Microsoft AI is opening a new AI hub in Central London. The firm claims that the new Paddington based centre, dubbed Microsoft AI London will ‘drive pioneering work to advance state-of-the-art language models and their supporting infrastructure, and to create world-class tooling for foundation models’, collaborating closely with AI teams across Microsoft and with its partners, including OpenAI. More →