SMEs prioritise upskilling staff as labour market tightens
Nearly half of UK SMEs plan to upskill existing staff in 2025, according to Shawbrook research, as firms adapt to recruitment challenges.
South East pension pots outpace rest of UK, gender gap remains – PensionBee
Women’s average pots increased by nearly 11% to £16,169, while men’s grew over 9% to £25,652.
Contract recruitment rises year-on-year as firms favour flexible hiring
APSCo’s latest Hiring Trends report shows contract roles up 11% in August compared to 2024, despite a seasonal slowdown in permanent hiring.
UK records sharp decline in hiring plans – ManpowerGroup
The UK recorded the sharpest drop in planned hiring globally, down 17 percentage points year-on-year and 8 points on the quarter.
Retirement savers to pay over 200% more tax on savings interest, analysis reveals
A FOI request submitted by Paragon to HMRC showed that people aged 65 and over were forecast to pay £2.5bn in tax on savings interest in the 2025/26 tax year.
Candidate numbers rise as hiring slows, research reveals
KPMG and REC data showed that permanent and temporary staff availability increased sharply, mostly due to redundancies and fewer job opportunities.
Median pay awards fall to 3% for first time since 2021 – IDR
The biggest group of pay awards, at 53%, were in the 3% to 3.99% range, up from 35% last month.
Most British workers understand payslips but struggle with tax and pensions – PayFit
Pension contributions were confusing for 19%, and 18% said they worried about not spotting underpayments.
Searches for ‘reasons to call out of work’ surge by 1450% – Reboot Online
Searches for four-day work week companies, 32-hour work week, WFH side hustle and WFH jobs with no experience all rose by over 4,000%.
Half of unpaid carers say NHS support is not enough – Carers UK
65% of unpaid carers felt overwhelmed because they could not take a break, while 66% needed more support with their own health and wellbeing.
33% of workers now confident about comfortable retirement – Aegon
Confidence levels were highest among younger workers and men, with 55% of 25-34-year-olds feeling confident compared to 14% of those aged 45-54.
Most workers delay retirement saving for short-term goals – Fidelity International
Younger workers aged 18 to 34 were mainly focused on buying a home or covering daily expenses, with only 15% thinking about retirement.
