
The UK labour market ended 2025 on a plateau. Employment has stalled, wage growth is slowing, and young people are finding it harder to enter work. Business leaders say easing cost pressures and restoring hiring confidence will be key to reigniting momentum.

Business owners planning to sell within 18 months face a tax trap. Rubric Law’s James Howell warns that even short delays could expose sellers to higher Capital Gains Tax when the Business Asset Disposal Relief rate rises in April 2026.

WorkL’s 2026 list reveals how culture and wellbeing drive success. The latest World’s Happiest Workplaces ranking names Amazon, Accenture, and Disney among global leaders investing in employee happiness as a business performance metric.

Senior leaders are falling for phishing more than entry-level staff. The human layer of cybersecurity has shifted — and boardrooms are now the weakest link. Data from Yubico and others suggest a widening awareness gap between confidence at the top and caution on the front line.

Reformer Pilates businesses grew 948% year-on-year. New data from Protectivity reveals that fitness, creative, and cleaning businesses are the UK’s fastest-growing ventures as self-employment continues to shape the post-pandemic economy.

Young adults are spending to reclaim control of their time. New data shows 25–34-year-olds are twice as likely as older generations to pay for convenience — outsourcing routine chores to protect rest, hobbies, and social time. The shift marks a broader effort to ease burnout and restore balance.

A gap in financial confidence is blocking UK entrepreneurs. Nearly two in five small business owners don’t know if they’re profitable, as Xero’s new Financial Confidence Taskforce urges a government rethink on financial literacy to make entrepreneurship an aspirational and attainable career path.

AI spending surged in 2025, but doubts are growing. New research from Tech Show London suggests business leaders face a make-or-break year for AI strategy, as high investment meets lagging confidence and uneven workforce integration.

Tesla has agreed to mediation with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over a racism lawsuit. The move could settle years of claims about harassment of Black employees at its Fremont plant — a case now central to the company’s culture and compliance scrutiny.

SME confidence rises as outlook weakens for wider economy. Despite worsening sentiment around the UK and Ireland’s economic outlook, small and medium-sized business leaders are backing their own ability to grow, according to new data from Vistage’s latest CEO Confidence Survey.