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Searches for Christmas temp jobs hit record levels in September. New research from The Accountancy Partnership shows a 23% year-on-year rise in festive job searches, suggesting that Britons are seeking seasonal work earlier than ever amid continuing financial strain.
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Government borrowing exceeds forecasts by £9.9 billion this fiscal year. Public sector borrowing reached £17.4 billion in October, marking the third-highest October on record. The cumulative borrowing since April is £116.8 billion, intensifying economic pressures as the Budget approaches.
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Klarna claims its AI now matches workload of 853 staff. The payments company says its generative-AI customer-service assistant has handled millions of queries with human-level satisfaction, underscoring automation’s accelerating impact on service jobs as financial-technology leaders weigh the gains — and risks — of digital labour.
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Addiction is already in the workplace, often hiding in plain sight. As Professor Marcantonio Spada of Onebright writes, silence and stigma prevent many from seeking help until crisis strikes. Creating open, supportive cultures where employees can talk about addiction is both compassionate and critical for business health.
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Budget talk is already weighing on Britain’s Christmas shoppers. New BRC and GfK data shows consumer sentiment sliding again in November, just as inflation eases and retail sales stumble. With Rachel Reeves facing a sizeable fiscal gap, retailers are braced for a Budget that could define demand well into 2026.
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UK government unveils AI investment initiative to generate new jobs.
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A third of UK employees feel uninspired at work. O.C. Tanner’s latest Global Culture Report finds a significant “inspiration gap” between employees’ ambitions and workplace reality, linking it to falling engagement, slower innovation, and weaker productivity across British organisations.
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Samsung officially names TM Roh as co-chief executive officer. The appointment reinstates a dual-leadership model at Samsung Electronics, dividing oversight between its mobile and semiconductor divisions. The move underscores the company’s intent to strengthen governance and sustain competitiveness across its consumer technology and component businesses amid a shifting global market.
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Europe is eyeing stakes in Australian resource ventures. The European Union has announced plans to invest directly in Australian critical-minerals operations to secure key supply for its green transition, Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said following talks in Melbourne with Australia’s Resources Minister Madeleine King.
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US employers added more jobs than expected in September. The 119,000 payroll gain came alongside a rise in unemployment to 4.4 percent, signalling a labour market that remains steady but not overheating. For the Federal Reserve, the figures strengthen the case for patience before adjusting interest rates.