Job vacancies have hit a record high as the UK’s labour market continues to “rebound robustly”, according to the latest official figures. The number of vacancies hit 953,000 in the three months to July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in the three months to June, while the…
Production of the new Lord of the Rings television series will move to the UK from New Zealand, Amazon Studios has confirmed. The as-yet-untitled fantasy epic is set thousands of years before the events in JRR Tolkien’s books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is a major blow for New Zealand’s entertainment…
Britain’s economy surged forward in the second quarter, growing 4.8 per cent as consumers eagerly spent money following the easing of coronavirus restrictions and the progress of the country’s vaccination programme. The rapid quarter-on-quarter growth rate allowed the economy to recover much of the ground lost over the past two years. Still, it produced 4.4…
The United Kingdom economy could return to its pre-pandemic level by the end of the year, some six months earlier than previously predicted, according to economic forecasting group EY Independent Treasury Economic Model, or the EY ITEM Club. According to its latest quarterly report, the economy is set to grow at its fastest rate in…
Top grades for A-level results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland have reached a record high – with 44.8% getting A* or A grades. This second year of replacement results after exams were cancelled, has seen even higher results than last year when 38.5% achieved top grades. Heads’ leader Geoff Barton said it was “comparing…
The UK unemployment rate dropped in the latest quarter as the easing of coronavirus restrictions continues to spark a gradual economic recovery. Between March and May the unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 4.8 per cent, while the employment rate was up 0.1 percentage point at 74.8 per cent. “As we approach the final…
A search for space has pushed up the average price of a house by 7.3% over the past year, reaching a new high of £230,700, it says. While houses are proving popular, flats are less sought after. But properties of all kinds are in short supply, the firm stressed. “Demand for houses is twice as…
England will allow fully vaccinated visitors from the European Union and United States to arrive without needing to quarantine from next week, in a huge and long-awaited boost for airlines and travel companies. Britain’s travel industry has criticised the government for being too slow to open up, saying it has squandered its lead in the…
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has welcomed Hongkongers to settle in the capital under the BNO visa scheme, as the city earmarks £900,000 (HK$9.6 million) to help with advice on housing, education and employment. Between 123,000 and 153,000 people with Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status and their dependents are expected to move to London….
China’s Tencent will buy British videogame developer Sumo in a $1.27 billion deal, it said on Monday, adding new titles to its growing portfolio of chart-topping videogames. The purchase, which will boost the Chinese internet giant’s presence globally, brings together Sumo’s racing and snooker games with Tencent’s more high-profile range of games that includes Call…