Legal & General have this morning commented on the latest ONS figures showing that 131 million days were lost to sickness absence in the UK last year. The report found that: There has been a fall in working days lost because of absence of around 26{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} since 1993 when...

In a speech to business leaders in Manchester, the PM is expected to say the euro area is at a “crossroads” and could go into “unchartered territory”.  Greece’s inability to form a government able to push through austerity plans has led to talk of it exiting the euro.  In...

As the university year draws to a close, a promising new survey shows university graduates can expect up to 20{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} higher starting salaries than they did in 2011. Finding that dream role could be less demanding too with 17{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} of employers saying they are planning to recruit more graduates...

ONS unemployment figures out tomorrow will be watched with a keen eye as last month unemployment fell for the first time in almost a year. The figures fell slightly last month to 2.65 million. However the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said that the outlook for the...

Europe has narrowly avoided returning to recession after recording zero growth in the first three months.  The stronger-than-expected performance was in large part due to growth of 0.5{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in the German economy.  In the final quarter of 2011, the eurozone shrank by 0.3{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}, and many analysts expected further contraction. ...

61 per cent of international assignees are happier than they were in the UK But more than a fifth didn’t get any support from their employer when moving overseas Nearly half say they would have benefited from more help to move and settle in Some 61 per cent of...

The European industrial production fell by 0.3{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in March, figures have shown, raising concerns that the bloc has returned to recession.  One of the leading factors behind the monthly fall was an 8.5{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} drop in energy production.  On Tuesday, the statistics agency will release its first estimate for eurozone...

The EEF employers’ group said that there had been a decline in short-term absence over the past five years.  However, the overall sickness absence rate had flattened off in 2011 and remained unchanged from 2010 at 2.2{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}.   EEF chief medical adviser Prof Sayeed Khan said a “fresh approach” was...

Latest reports suggest the eurozone economy is forecast to shrink this year as its debt crisis continues to bite.  The prediction of a 0.3{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} contraction in 2012 in the economies of the 17 countries that use the euro. European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said “a...

The latest KPMG.REC report on jobs, which tells us that unemployment is continuing to rise despite a small increase in permanent placements, signals an end to the myth that regulation does not stifle growth. Historically the temping industry has worked well to help employers, never more so than at...

Nearly three in four (72{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}) UK HR directors are concerned about losing top performers from their companies over the coming year, and in a bid to retain staff, are offering other incentives – other than financial remuneration – such as remote-working, according to a study by OfficeTeam, a leading...

Almost half of UK companies have experienced an unexpected change in leadership in the last 12 months with some stating a detrimental effect on business. Almost 1 in 5 (19{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e}) said that it had caused a loss of or slowed growth due to a lack of leadership or direction....

Exports were up a seasonally adjusted 0.9{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} over the month, following a 1.5{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} increase in February.  German firms had the most success in markets outside the European Union, where they recorded growth of 6.1{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} compared with the year before.  The seasonally-adjusted trade surplus remained flat at 13.7bn euros from...

The United States eQuest Employment Index showed a minimal gain in the month of April moving from 106.26 to 106.42.   The April gain was achieved with a small increase in overall job postings across most tracked industries but led by a large jump in the retail sector.  Energy and...

While official figures show the UK economy contracted in the first quarter of the year, data from the business services sector in the Business Factors Index from Bibby Financial Services shows more positive activity for the period. Increases in new customers, orders and business enquiries contributed to firms enjoying...