New research from Reed suggests that the combined impact of artificial intelligence and rising National Insurance costs is contributing to a slowdown in the UK jobs market. The survey claims that 15 percent of employers said the adoption of AI had led them to reduce hiring, while 22 percent cited higher National Insurance contributions as a reason for cutting back. In total, around a fifth of organisations reported putting a freeze on recruitment. The findings coincide with official data from the ONS, which confirms continued weakness in the labour market. According to Reed’s own figures, job postings on its platform were down 18 percent year on year in August, while applications fell by 25 percent despite a modest rise in advertised salaries of 1.4 percent. (more…)

A new report claims that employees are less interested in quirky office features and more concerned about how well their workplaces support performance. Mitie’s latest Productivity Reset Report [registration requires you to receive marketing – you can’t opt out] highlights that while games areas and other recreational facilities may generate headlines, only 14 percent of employees believe such features contribute meaningfully to workplace satisfaction or productivity. In contrast, almost nine in ten (88 percent) said that a safe, well-maintained office is a critical factor in their day-to-day working experience. (more…)

A widening gap in productivity between the UK’s public and private sectors is costing the economy around eighty billion pounds annually, according to new analysis from EY. The report, Mind the productivity gap, claims that if public sector productivity had kept pace with the private sector since 2019, the economy would now be three per cent larger. Instead, public sector productivity has fallen by over eight per cent since the pandemic. (more…)