Human Times

UK Edition

14th November 2025

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THE HOT STORY

Firms freeze hiring ahead of Budget

Businesses are delaying hiring as they await clarity on government tax and spending plans, according to a survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG. The REC-KPMG permanent hiring index rose slightly to 45.2 in October, below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. The temporary hiring index, however, rose to 50.2. Permanent appointments fell in October, albeit at the slowest pace since July 2024. The report suggests that demand for workers has been hindered by higher employment costs stemming from the hike in employer National Insurance contributions announced in last year's Budget.

The Times

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CYBERSECURITY

Firms face fines over cyber breaches

The government's Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will grant regulators the authority to impose fines of up to 4% of annual turnover - or £17m if this is higher - on firms which fail to comply with cybersecurity rules. The Bill gives the Technology Secretary the power to instruct regulators and the bodies they oversee to take specific, proportionate steps to prevent cyberattacks posing a threat to national security. Organisations will be have to report serious incidents to their regulator and the National Cyber Security Centre within 24 hours, with a full report within 72 hours. The Bill aims to expand regulations to include more sectors. Research by KPMG shows the average cost of a significant cyber attack in the UK exceeds £190,000, totalling £14.7bn annually.

Financial Times

The Times

TAX

Chancellor abandons income tax hike

The government has reversed its decision to raise income tax. A source said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided against the tax increase after a series of intense briefings and amid concern over the response from voters. Instead, they may consider smaller tax-raising measures to address a shortfall in the public finances that could be as high as £30bn. The U-turn on the tax hike has been submitted to the Office for Budget Responsibility. It has been suggested that the Chancellor could instead cut the thresholds at which different rates of income tax are paid while leaving the basic and higher rates unchanged.

Chancellor opts against tax raid on LLPs

Rachel Reeves has abandoned plans for a tax raid on limited liability partnerships (LLPs) after Treasury modelling indicated it would cost more than it would raise. The Chancellor was reportedly considering the introduction of a charge of about 7% in the upcoming Budget. However, Treasury analysis suggested that partnerships would bring forward profits to avoid the new charge before its introduction, resulting in a spike in income tax revenues in the short term but a £400m reduction in revenues in 2029/30. Leaders from Britain's professional services sector had warned Reeves that imposing employers' National Insurance on LLPs would "stunt growth" and create instability.

Sky News

The Times

STRATEGY

Ineos Automotive to cut staff

Ineos Automotive plans to cut jobs as it looks to boost efficiency. The firm said a "headcount reduction programme" would lead to "several hundred" job losses for head office staff in locations including the UK and Europe. The firm noted that there would be a greater focus on "core manufacturing and commercial activities." This comes as the wider group looks to address a debt pile of more than €11bn.

The Times

The Daily Telegraph

Man Group plans to cut London jobs and move some roles to Bulgaria

Man Group, the world’s largest listed hedge fund manager, plans to cut London-based jobs, including in risk management and compliance, and move some roles to Bulgaria next year.

Financial Times

WORKFORCE

Government loosens job-hunting requirements for claimants

The government is trialling a new "pathfinder" service to reduce the rigid job-hunting requirements for benefit claimants. Instead of the previous 35-hour weekly job search, the new approach offers more flexibility. The government said: "We aim to give claimants more choice and empowerment on their journey into work." Debbie Abrahams, Labour chairman of the work and pensions committee, praised the initiative as a "constructive step forward." However, there are concerns about the impact of relaxed requirements on claimants' well-being, and the government accepted MPs' recommendation that the chief medical adviser be consulted about "the potential health impact on claimants of all policy changes."

Daily Mail

The Daily Telegraph

ECONOMY

Economy grows by 0.1% in Q3

The UK economy grew by 0.1% in Q3, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows. The service sector drove this modest growth, while the production sector, particularly manufacturing, contracted. Analysts had anticipated growth of 0.2% for the quarter, while the Bank of England had predicted a 0.3% increase. The ONS data shows that the economy contracted by 0.1%, month-on-month, in September. The decline was attributed to a significant drop in car production due to a cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover. James Smith, research director at the Resolution Foundation think-tank, said: "This latest slowdown shows the scale of the challenge facing the government as it seeks to kickstart growth."

INTERNATIONAL

European countries see increase in attacks against migrant workers

France 24 reports that several European countries have seen an increase in attacks on migrant workers as hate speech becomes more prevalent across the continent. Concern about the situation is growing in Romania, which relies heavily on non-EU workers in its manufacturing, construction, trade and hospitality sectors. Romulus Badea, president of the country's Employers' Federation of Labour Force Importers, said that while attacks against foreign workers have been isolated, he hopes they won't "become a phenomenon." The Council of Europe's anti-discrimination body, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), said last month in a report on Romania: "Issues of concern are the increasing presence of hate speech in political discourse, in the media and online."

France 24

Trump defends need for H-1B visas

President Donald Trump has defended the H1-B skilled worker visa program in an interview with Fox News in which he said the United States doesn’t have workers with “certain talents” to fill jobs needed domestically. The channel's Laura Ingraham asked Trump whether his administration would reduce H1-B visas amid concerns it would depress wages for American workers. Trump said: “I agree - but you also do have to bring in talent.” When Ingraham responded: “We have plenty of talented people here,” Trump replied, “No, you don’t, no you don’t . . . you don’t have certain talents, and people have to learn. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we’re going to make missiles.’” In September, the White House imposed a $100,000 one-time fee on H1-B visas, in a move that marked a win for immigration hard-liners on Capitol Hill, NBC News notes

APAC workers embrace AI but fear job losses

The Boston Consulting Group's latest survey reveals that 78% of APAC workers use AI weekly, surpassing the global average of 72%. However, their enthusiasm for the technology is tempered by significant job loss fears, with 53% of frontline employees expressing concern. India leads in AI adoption at 92%, while Japan lags at 51%. The report highlights a disconnect between high adoption rates and governance gaps: more than half (58%) of respondents said they would use AI without formal approval. Jeff Walters, a BCG managing director, observed: "This momentum introduces critical challenges in governance, workflow redesign, and employee support."

The Nation

OTHER

New rules aim to ease uniform pressure

Latest guidance from the Department for Education advises schools to ban visible logos on PE kits to alleviate financial pressure on families and reduce peer pressure. Schools must appoint a contact for families needing uniform support and consider the needs of pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The guidance also encourages schools to clarify their stance on political impartiality in uniform policies. It highlights the importance of inclusive practices and the link between uniform and attendance, and urges schools to support students facing bullying over clothing.

Schools Week

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