Human Times

European Edition

23rd February 2026

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THE HOT STORY

UK policymakers should encourage 'creative destruction' of low productivity firms

The weakest UK firms now produce less per worker than they did 30 years ago after adjusting for inflation, according to analysis by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) which says policymakers should encourage "creative destruction" of companies that are barely surviving and help workers to move to higher-growth areas. The UK's industrial strategy should be focused on successful areas, and have "hard edges and be relentlessly focused, rather than trying to lift growth for all sectors," the analysis says. Raoul Ruparel, chief UK economist at BCG, said more companies with low productivity were “dragging down overall productivity growth and absolute levels of productivity.”

Financial Times

Reuters

HR TECH EUROPE 2026 AGENDA IS LIVE

The HR Tech Europe 2026 agenda is officially live!

Bringing together voices shaping the future of work, expect insights from CHROs and industry leading speakers from brands like Amazon.com, Disruptive HR, Marriott International, Pandora, Samskip, SoundCloud, Josh Bersin and more. Read on for a taste of what’s taking shape on stage this 22–23 April at RAI Amsterdam.

Explore the Agenda

ECONOMY

EU 'expects' US to honour existing trade deal

The European Commission has said Washington must abide by the terms of the trade deal reached last year with the EU, after President Donald Trump announced new global tariff hikes a day after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping "reciprocal" import duties. "A deal is a deal," said a commission statement. "As the United States' largest trading partner, the EU expects the US to honour its commitments set out in the Joint Statement - just as the EU stands by its commitments," it added. "The European Commission requests full clarity on the steps the United States intends to take following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)."

France 24

TECHNOLOGY

UK is well set for AI benefits

Roger Bootle, a senior adviser at Capital Economics, argues that while AI will lead to some job losses, it will not render humans redundant. He emphasises the importance of human judgement in many sectors, saying: " There is at least one thing that AI will never be better at than humans, namely being human." Capital Economics compiles an AI Economic Impact Index, which ranks economies on their ability to realise long-term benefits from AI. The UK ranks third, with Bootle noting its "strong existing digital infrastructure, high levels of STEM education, a relatively liberal approach to regulation and a relatively flexible labour market."

The Daily Telegraph

WORKPLACE

Capturing the nine-to-five: why ‘WorkTok’ films are gripping Gen Z

Corporate “day in the life” clips, where employees film themselves going about their regular working days, are proving a fast-growing hit on TikTok and Instagram, particularly among Gen Z viewers.

Financial Times

WORKFORCE

Nine countries object to creating new jobs in EU institutions

Nine EU countries - Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden - are pushing back against requests by the bloc's executive to add 2,500 new jobs as part of new budget negotiations. The planned increase was criticised as running "counter to the stated objectives of efficiency, restraint and reform." A European Commission spokesperson said the new jobs were needed to close a "capacity gap," adding that there is "more work, more duties to deliver on, but not more staff members . . . That's exactly what we are trying to close with the new budget proposal."

The Baltic Times

LEADERSHIP

Lagarde says she expects to complete her ECB term

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has told the Wall Street Journal that she expects to complete her term in the role. The Financial Times had earlier reported that Lagarde planned to leave her job before the end of her contract in October 2027. “When I look back at all these years, I think that we have accomplished a lot, that I have accomplished a lot,” she told the Journal. “We need to consolidate and make sure that this is really solid and reliable. So my baseline is that it will take until the end of my term.” Lagarde said her mission is price and financial stability, as well as “protecting the euro, making sure that it is solid and strong and fit for the future of Europe.”

Wall Street Journal

HIRING

KLM deploys more people to handle snow compensation claims

KLM is deploying additional staff to manage a surge in compensation claims after severe winter weather disrupted operations at Schiphol Airport in January. CEO Marjan Rintel described the start of 2026 as disappointing, noting the impact on passengers. The airline's parent company, Air France-KLM, incurred €90m in losses due to the chaos. An evaluation with Schiphol is underway to improve future responses to extreme weather.

NL Times

INTERNATIONAL

Volkswagen workers ratify first UAW contract

Volkswagen workers at the automaker's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted 96% in favour of a historic first labour deal negotiated by the United Auto Workers union that locks in higher wages, lower health insurance costs, and stronger job security language for the next four years. “This victory shows what happens when workers stand up and refuse to be ignored," said Yogi Peoples, a worker at the plant and member of the union's bargaining committee. "We didn’t just win better wages and raise standards at our plant - we forced respect onto the table and got it all in writing." Reuters notes the South of the US "has been tough for the union to crack."

Detroit News

Reuters

Crypto plays growing role in human trafficking networks, report says

Cryptocurrency flows to suspected human trafficking services, largely based in Southeast Asia, grew 85% in 2025, reaching a scale of hundreds of millions across identified services, according to a new report by US-based blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. The analysis tracked four primary categories of suspected cryptocurrency-facilitated human trafficking, including Telegram-based “labour placement” services that facilitate kidnapping and forced labour for scam compounds.

Chainalysis

CNBC

Nepal is 'addicted' to the trade in its own people

Migrant worker groups say the government in Nepal has become "addicted" to the remittances sent back by workers overseas to keep the country's economy going. Rather than developing local industry, the government promotes "foreign employment," said Nilambar Badal of the National Network for Safe Migration (NNSM). "They are expecting people to go out and send the money back so that they can run the country. We are a remittance-dependent economy," he added. Former labour minister Sarita Giri goes further, saying the government is at the heart of a "rotten and corrupt" system "exploiting migrant workers and their families."

France 24

OTHER

US plans online portal to bypass content bans

Reuters reports that the US State Department is planning an online portal be hosted at "freedom.gov" that will allow people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda. Officials are said to have discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user's traffic appear to originate in the US. “Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department . . . and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs," the department told Reuters.

Reuters

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