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UK inflation expectations have risen sharply after recent monthly falls. Citi and YouGov’s August survey shows both one-year and longer-term expectations increasing as higher energy costs complicate the outlook for interest rates.
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Homes England has named 33 strategic affordable housing delivery partners. Their published allocations cover 73,617 homes and about £9.58bn in grants within the government’s ten-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme.
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Zero-hours reforms could raise employer costs and alter staffing models. CIPD research finds two-thirds of employers using the contracts expect higher HR and management costs, while around a third anticipate redundancies or greater reliance on alternative workers.
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UK fintech investment has fallen to its lowest decade level. KPMG recorded £1.8bn across 205 deals in the first half of 2026, although investment in AI fintech increased as capital became more selective.
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Entry-level opportunities are shrinking as employers adopt more workplace automation. Work Foundation research finds more than a third of employers have cut junior roles, with the reduction particularly pronounced among medium-sized and large organisations.
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Ofgem will raise the household energy price cap this October. The 4% increase takes the typical annualised bill to £1,723 as higher international gas prices continue feeding into UK costs.
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Hardies has acquired Glasgow quantity surveying practice Storrier and Donaldson. The private deal adds an established cost management team and strengthens the surveying group’s capacity across Glasgow and western Scotland.
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Low Rhine levels are disrupting freight and German industrial recovery. Britain’s second-largest trading partner now faces higher transport costs and material delays as drought squeezes one of Europe’s most important inland freight routes.
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UK marketers report losing substantial working time to administration. Optimizely research finds 45% spend at least a quarter of their week on low-value tasks amid growing workflow complexity.
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UK inward investment project numbers fell sharply in 2025-26. DBT recorded 1,020 projects, down 25.8%, while associated new jobs remained almost unchanged and safeguarded employment rose substantially.
