Human Times

UK Edition

8th July 2026

THE HOT STORY

Three in four London jobs are 'under threat' from AI

Workers in London are most at risk of job losses due to AI, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The study reveals that three-quarters of jobs in the capital are "highly exposed" to AI, meaning that more than half of the daily tasks involved can be performed by the technology. The report also found the UK is lagging behind the EU, US, Canada and Australia in growth of AI hiring, while vacancies in AI-exposed occupations have fallen since the pandemic. Although AI's impact on young workers currently appears limited, the OECD said graduates face growing pressure from automation and offshoring. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "AI presents real opportunities - from driving economic growth to improving public services - but also brings with it new challenges, including the potential impact on London's labour market." He warned earlier this year that AI could become a "weapon of mass destruction of jobs" if not properly controlled or used for "positive transformation."

HIRING

Cautious bosses won't commit to permanent hires

Part-time hiring in the UK has reached a three-year high, with the KPMG and Recruitment and Employment Confederation index rising to 52.7 in June. The increase reflects cautious employers responding to rising demand without committing to permanent hires. Although permanent hiring remains low, the decline is easing. Unemployment rose to 4.9% in the three months to April, while pay growth has stalled, with average increases at 3.5%. Lisa Fernihough, advisory vice-chair at KPMG UK, said: "Although permanent placements are still falling, the pace of decline is easing and back to a rate we were seeing before the Iran conflict put a pause on active recruitment for many companies."

The Times

WORKFORCE

High Pay Centre to shut down

The High Pay Centre, the think-tank which advocates for pay equality, will cease operations this month due to funding challenges. The body, which has called for a "corporation tax surcharge" for companies paying "excessive amounts" to executives, this year reported that median FTSE 100 chief executive pay stood at £4.4m, compared with £39,039 for the median full-time UK worker, a ratio of 113:1. The centre said it was "disappointed that successive governments and regulators have not gone further to address an economic model that continues to drive inequality," and it was exploring whether "like-minded organisations" may be able to take over its work as "the issues we have campaigned on are more important now than ever."

The Times

STRATEGY

Citi boosts Northern presence

Citi is expanding its operations in the North of England, specifically targeting Manchester and Leeds. The US investment bank is actively recruiting staff in these cities as part of its strategy to diversify business beyond London. Tiina Lee, the chief executive of Citi in the UK, said: “There are so many clients that are based outside London and the South East that are fast-growing, looking to expand globally, that are owned by mid-tier private equity firms. That’s really a sweet spot for Citi.”

The Daily Telegraph

John Lewis to cut 200 jobs

John Lewis plans to cut 200 jobs as part of a cost-cutting initiative following a £21m pre-tax loss last year. The retailer will close foreign exchange desks in 30 stores and eliminate gift-wrapping services in 25 locations. A spokesperson said: "Our customers are increasingly buying the broad range of currencies we offer online, and enjoying the convenience of having this delivered directly to their home or collecting it at one of our shops." The company aims to redeploy affected workers where possible.

The Daily Telegraph

LEGAL

Government has more power to crack down on groups linked to hostile foreign states

The government now has more power to crack down on groups linked to hostile foreign states after Parliament passed the National Security (State Threats) Act. The law makes it illegal to support or receive payment from such a group and treats any organisation classed as state-linked under the legislation the same as if they were foreign intelligence services. Anyone convicted of doing the bidding of a hostile state-linked actor could be jailed for up to 14 years.

Bloomberg

ECONOMY

Banks commit to improving basic bank account access

Major UK banks are improving access to basic bank accounts following a report by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). A recent mystery shopping exercise by the City watchdog revealed that a third of interactions regarding such accounts were rated poorly. Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the largest personal current account providers must offer basic bank accounts to legally resident consumers who either do not have a UK bank account or are not eligible for all other payment accounts. Emad Aladhal, director of retail banking at the FCA, said: "Bank accounts are important for financial inclusion, and this is about making sure the very people who could benefit from basic bank accounts are not missing out."

The Independent

The Times

BBC News

LEADERSHIP

Uber dismisses top leaders at data labelling business

Uber has dismissed two top leaders at its nascent AI data labelling business. Naga Kasu, senior director of engineering, and Pankaj Kamat, director of product at Uber AI Solutions, are said to have departed the ride-hailing company recently. Uber has positioned the data labelling unit as a key growth driver. The division employs a network of gig workers to undertake tasks necessary to prepare data to be used in artificial intelligence models, such as labelling video footage for driverless technology.

Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

Spain immigration amnesty draws 1.2m applicants

Some 1.2m unauthorised immigrants have applied for legal status in Spain under an amnesty programme promoted by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s leftwing government, more than double the estimated number. A total of 1,174,978 applications were submitted between mid-April and June 30 when the window closed, Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela said. Latin America accounted for 67% of the submissions; African nationalities followed with 22.9%. “Without immigration, Spain would lose 19% of its GDP by 2050,” Sanchez said. “And what does that mean in business terms? It means, for example, that 90,000 bars would have to close, that 50,000 primary and secondary classrooms would find themselves without students, and that around 220,000 farms would disappear.” Without immigration, he added, Spain would be “poorer, emptier, weaker and without the resources to fund its welfare state . . . The only decent thing to do is extend a hand, not turn our backs on immigration.”

AlJazeera

Financial Times

AGs oppose plan to impose tariffs on forced labour concerns

A group of Democratic state attorneys general has said the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs of up to 12.5% on 59 countries and the European ‌Union, amid claims they failed to curb trade in goods made with forced labour, are unlawful. A letter signed by the AGs said the levies will make goods more expensive "and will continue the economic devastation that prior tariffs have caused." The U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) is set for a three-day public hearing on the proposed tariffs of 10% on 16 economies, including the European Union, and 12.5% on 44 other countries. The USTR is abusing its authority under "Section 301" in a bid "to paper over ‌the ⁠administration’s predetermined sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports to the United States," said the AGs of states including Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Colorado, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey.

Reuters

China’s Alibaba to ban Anthropic AI for employees

Alibaba has announced a ban on its employees using Anthropic's artificial intelligence tools, effective July 10, amid concerns over potential security risks. The company has classified Anthropic's Claude Code as high-risk, a move which follows Anthropic's decision last month to send a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, blaming the Chinese company of “brazenly” and “illicitly” attempting to extract its AI capabilities. Anthropic claimed Alibaba had carried out “the largest known distillation attack” on it to date. Alibaba employees will be required to uninstall all Anthropic models and agent products and instead use the Chinese company’s own AI assistant, Qoder.

CNBC

Ebola deaths in Congo top 500 as health workers threaten strike action

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has resulted in at least 500 deaths among over 1,500 confirmed cases since its declaration on May 15, according to the Ministry of Health. Frontline workers in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicentre, have threatened to strike amid unpaid benefits and poor working conditions. They have also complained of the "arrogance" of teams sent from Congo's capital of Kinshasa, and the “excessive” use of labour from other provinces without prioritising local labour in Ituri.

U.S. News

OTHER

New chief cashier to lead banknote redesign

Rhys Phillips has been appointed as the new chief cashier and director of notes at the Bank of England. He will oversee the production of secure banknotes as the bank transitions to featuring animals instead of historical figures.

Daily Mail

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