Search Results for: economy

November 14, 2013

As economy picks up, change management is greatest employment challenge

The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the unemployment has fallen to 7.6 per cent, its lowest rate in more than three years, and the signs are that employers can plan for the future with renewed confidence. In a poll conducted at the recent Chartered Management Institute’s National Annual Conference, 74 per cent of managers said market conditions for their business are currently more conductive for growth than they were last year. Their biggest management challenge in the coming year will be implementing change initiatives, with other priorities being: coordinating business development activities; getting the best performance out of their team; achieving results with fewer resources; internally promoting their department as a value-adding business partner; and managing and bringing through star performers.

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May 15, 2013

Long term investment in infrastructure needed to boost UK economy

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Property

The UK government should reverse the long term slump in infrastructure investment to boost the economy, according to a new report from the Centre for Economic and Business Research and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association. The report, Securing Our Economy: The Case For Infrastructure, calls for the government to address the decade long £13bn infrastructure construction shortfall and lays out a series of recommendations to reverse the situation. The report claims the UK endures a £78bn GDP ‘black hole’ each year due to the lack of investment and that by investing at the level of other developed economies, the economy could enjoy an additional £100 billion each year by 2026.

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April 9, 2013

Private sector recruitment to increase, despite fragile economy

by Sara Bean • Knowledge, News, Workplace

Employers from the private sector intend to hire new staff in the coming months, despite UK businesses not anticipating economic growth in the next two quarters. According to the latest Business Trends report by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP UK businesses’ hiring intentions over the next two quarters, reached 96.0 in March, the highest since August 2011. Peter Hemington, Partner, BDO LLP, commented: “It is encouraging to see improvement in UK businesses’ hiring intentions, particularly in light of the imminent public sector payroll cuts which will add pressure to the unemployment rate.” (more…)

February 8, 2013

Consolidation of state properties boosts London economy by £3.5bn

by Mark Eltringham • Property, Public Sector

According to a new report from property consultancy Knight Frank into the impact of the Government’s policy of consolidating and improving the management of the public sector estate in London, the economy has been boosted by as much as £3.5 billion. The study has reviewed the results of the work carried out by the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group at 16 properties in central London including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for International Development, the Land Registry and the Crown Prosecution Service. Many of these sites were seen as dated and have now been redeveloped for use by other organisations. (more…)

January 21, 2013

Cabinet for Core Cities looks to reshape the English economy

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Public Sector

A newly formed Cabinet of Core Cities met for the first time in Liverpool on Friday, seeking to reshape England and call on the Government to work with it to maximise the economic potential of the regions by creating a more balanced economic structure for the country and develop policies that would create jobs and investment. The cities represent the urban centres of Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol and Sheffield.

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March 12, 2026

The British seem more worried about robots than anybody else

by Neil Franklin • AI, News

British adults are more anxious about robots than people in any other major economy, according to a new global study which suggests the unease may stem from a lack of exposure to the technology in everyday life. The research, published by technology firm Hexagon, is based on a survey 18,000 people across nine countries for its Robot Generation report. It found that 52 percent of adults in the UK say they worry something might go wrong when they think about interacting with robots. The global average is 42 percent, while in South Korea the figure is just 29 percent. (more…)

February 23, 2026

AI will either save work or destroy it. Apparently.

by Jo Sutherland • AI, Comment

As someone who works at the intersection of communications and responsible AI, I spend a lot of time thinking about how emerging technologies are explained, sold, feared, embraced and misunderstood. Nowhere is that more palpable than in conversations about AI and the future of work, where certainty is sometimes projected before it’s earned. Over the past few months alone, taking part in debates at both the Westminster Employment Forum and the University of Cambridge, I’ve been struck by just how wide the spectrum of opinion still is. Depending on who has the floor, AI is framed either as a magical productivity fix or an existential threat to jobs. The reality probably lies somewhere in the middle. (more…)

February 23, 2026

Rapid growth in number of proposed data centres raises huge concerns for UK climate targets

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

A sharp increase in the number of data centres needed to meet the demands of AI is prompting concerns about energy demand and the potential impact on UK climate commitments, according to a report by The Times [paywall]. According to the newspaper, Ofgem, the energy regulator, has received connection enquiries for around 140 new data centre projects. Together, they are seeking approximately 50 gigawatts of electricity capacity, a figure that exceeds Britain’s entire recent peak electricity demand of about 45 gigawatts. The scale of the requests has raised questions about whether existing infrastructure planning and carbon reduction pathways are aligned with the speed of digital expansion. (more…)

February 18, 2026

Lack of innovation continues to hamper small business and startups

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

Small business innovation in the UK has fallen for the fourth consecutive year despite record levels of entrepreneurial ambition, according to the latest State of Small Business Britain report from the Enterprise Research Centre. The annual study draws together findings from a range of business surveys and shows that 36 percent of working age adults are now starting, running or planning to launch a business. This is the highest level recorded since the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor began tracking activity in 1999. Early stage entrepreneurial activity has doubled since the early 2000s and has stabilised at around 12 percent. (more…)

January 28, 2026

KI Achieves FISP (S) Certification, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and circular practices

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Environment, Workplace design

KI has reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to sustainability by achieving the enhanced FISP (S) certification, building on over a decade of continuous accreditation under the Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme (FISP). As the only independently certified sustainability standard created specifically for the furniture sector, FISP represents the industry’s most comprehensive benchmark for environmental, social and economic best practice. KI first became FISP-certified in 2013. Its progression to the advanced FISP (S) standard in late 2025 demonstrates the company’s ambition to lead the industry toward more circular, transparent and future?ready product development. (more…)

January 27, 2026

Surface Design Show announces details of speaker’s programme

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace design

The Surface Design Show has announced the final details of its speaker’s programme for the 2026 edition of the show. Featuring a range of topics with some of the most innovative voices in industry, the schedule includes an impressive list of industry names including Michelle Ogundehin, Katie Treggiden, Liz Bell, Tim Gledstone, Giles Miller and Justine Fox. The main stage is designed by Design Command using acoustic surfaces, soft textures and gentle light, with furniture supplied by Table Place Chairs. The design treats silence not as absence but as an active design language, exploring how materials can shape space while creating a pause for visitors to reflect and feel inspired amid the show. The programme will consist of 21 presentations from over 50 speakers spanning the full breadth of the design industry. (more…)

January 14, 2026

Furniture industry invited to explore how sustainability can drive commercial success

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace design

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is inviting furniture and furnishings professionals to attend ‘Making Commercial Sense of Sustainability’, a one-day industry event focused on turning environmental responsibility into commercial opportunity. Taking place on Thursday 19 March (11:00am – 4:00pm) at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London, the event will bring together business leaders, sustainability experts, manufacturers, designers and specifiers to examine how sustainability can be embedded into business strategy in a way that supports growth, resilience and long-term profitability. (more…)