News

UK businesses cut staff at the quickest pace in nine months in November, as uncertainty ahead of the Budget and fragile client confidence triggered a renewed slowdown across the economy, according to new data from S&P Global. The latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed that economic growth stalled over the month, with the composite reading slipping to 51.2 from 52.2 in October — only marginally above the 50 threshold separating expansion from contraction. Workforce numbers...

Business students at the University of Sunderland have smashed fundraising records after turning a £25 seed fund into more than £12,700 for a North East children’s charity. First-year Business and Management students took part in the university’s annual “Take £25 Challenge”, working in teams to raise as much money as possible from a starting budget of just £25 each. Over four weeks, 24 teams generated an impressive £12,743.30 with Gift Aid for The Children’s Foundation...

Jaguar Land Rover has parted ways with Gerry McGovern, the veteran design chief responsible for the company’s highly polarising pink-themed rebrand — a marketing campaign criticised for featuring high-fashion models, avant-garde slogans and not a single Jaguar car. Industry publication Autocar reported that McGovern, 69, was asked to leave the business on Monday and was “escorted out of the office,” bringing an abrupt end to his 21-year tenure as one of the most influential figures...

Instagram will require its workforce to return to the office five days a week from early next year, becoming the latest major tech company to crack down on remote work. In an internal memo titled “Building a Winning Culture in 2026”, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri told employees that full-time office attendance would be mandatory from 2 February 2026 for US-based staff. He argued that teams in the company’s New York office were already benefiting from...

Spotify has unveiled its annual Wrapped rankings, revealing the most-streamed business and technology podcasts of 2025 — a list dominated by breakout British talent, Wall Street heavyweights and format-shifting creators. The streaming giant said users spent more time listening to—and watching—podcasts this year than ever before, with video podcast consumption jumping 54% year-on-year. More than 390 million listeners streamed a video-based show in 2025, marking a major shift in how audiences engage with long-form content...

A Northamptonshire manufacturer of sustainable warehouse storage and packaging solutions is expanding its global footprint after securing £1.6 million in government-backed finance. Pallite Group, based in Wellingborough, has won new export opportunities across Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, prompting the need for additional working capital to keep pace with growing international demand. The company has now secured a £1.6 million corporate facility from KBC Bank, supported by UK Export...

The Business Disability Forum has launched its revamped Disability Smart Impact Awards 2026, opening nominations today to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The awards, which have been renamed to emphasise measurable change, celebrate organisations and individuals delivering tangible improvements to the lives of disabled employees, customers and service users. BDF said the new focus reflects a growing need for companies not just to show good intentions but to demonstrate real-world impact....