Human Times

European Edition

10th November 2025

THE HOT STORY

UK bosses expect AI to reduce workforce

One in six UK employers anticipates workforce reductions due to AI over the next year, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The CIPD's latest labour market outlook survey, involving over 2,000 employers, shows that 62% expect clerical, junior managerial, professional or administrative roles to be most affected. Large private sector firms are particularly concerned, with 26% expecting headcount reductions compared with 17% in the private sector overall and 20% in the public sector. Of the firms that expect to cut roles because of AI, a quarter said they were preparing to lose more than one in 10 staff. James Cockett, a senior labour market economist at the CIPD, said: "AI has great potential for improving productivity . . . but it also risks leaving many people behind."

The Times

The Daily Telegraph

WORKFORCE

Low-wage workers thrive in tight Dutch labour market

Research by the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) reveals that low-wage workers have benefited the most from the tight labour market between 2015 and 2023. Wages in this group have outpaced inflation, particularly in sectors facing staff shortages. Higher earners see limited wage growth unless they change jobs. The CPB's findings align with earlier research from the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), which noted that companies are offering more hours and permanent contracts in response to labour shortages. Peter Hein van Mulligen from Statistics Netherlands indicated that the labour market may be reaching its capacity limits.

NL Times

LEADERSHIP

HSBC launches new leadership programme

HSBC has launched a new leadership programme at its $150m campus in Guangzhou that is aimed at transforming its corporate culture. Chief executive Georges Elhedery is driving the change, emphasising accountability and high performance. The programme will be implemented across HSBC's global offices. Elhedery, who took over in 2024, faces the challenge of reshaping a workforce accustomed to a bureaucratic approach. The bank is also undergoing significant restructuring to cut costs and improve efficiency.

Sunday Times

RISK

France's highest audit court slams Louvre security

The Louvre has spent too much on new artworks and not enough on security in recent years, France’s state auditor has said. Pierre Moscovici, the head of the French Court of Auditors, France's highest audit institution, said in a highly critical report on Thursday that last month's heist was a "deafening wake-up call" for museum security, which had been moving at a "woefully inadequate pace."

France 24

Financial Times

STRATEGY

US AI start-up to open Paris and Munich offices

Anthropic, the US-based AI start-up which is valued at $183bn, is expanding its presence in Europe by opening new offices in Paris and Munich to support the rising demand for its Claude AI language models. The company has seen its revenue in the EMEA region grow more than ninefold in the past year, prompting plans to triple its international workforce. With existing clients including L'Oréal, BMW, and SAP, Anthropic aims to enhance its operations across various functions, from research and engineering to sales.

Euronews.com

REGULATION

EU could water down AI Act amid pressure from Big Tech

The European Commission is set to water down part of its digital rule book, including last year's landmark AI act, in a decision on a so-called simplification package on November 19. "The Commission is proposing targeted simplification measures aimed at ensuring timely, smooth and proportionate implementation," the draft document said. The changes include exempting companies from registering their AI systems in an EU database for high-risk systems if these are only used for narrow or procedural tasks, and the introduction of a one-year grace period where authorities can only levy penalties from August 2, 2027, Reuters reports.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Unilever says Ben & Jerry’s chair no longer suitable for board role

Unilever’s ice cream business has said Ben & Jerry’s chair Anuradha Mittal “no longer meets the criteria” to serve in her role, in an escalation of a long-running spat between the consumer goods group and one of its premier brands. The Magnum Ice Cream Company made the comment in an SEC filing ahead of its €15bn spin-off from its parent company. The company did not disclose why its investigation, which was carried out by external advisers, deemed that Ms Mittal should no longer serve on the board; however, it reported that there is "an ongoing risk" that Ben & Jerry's statements and actions could have an impact on its reputation, with the possibility of consumer boycotts and “investor claims.”

Financial Times

Reuters

ECONOMY

Eurozone sales rose 1% in September

Eurozone retail sales rose 1% in September on an annual basis, although they were down 0.1% from August, according to Eurostat, which added that non-food products sales dropped by 0.2% on the month, fuel sales were down 1% and food sales were stagnant. Sales were up 0.2% on the month in Germany, the bloc's biggest economy, and 0.4% in Spain, but there were falls in Italy, France and the Netherlands.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

DEI critic to lead US workplace civil rights agency

President Donald Trump has appointed Andrea Lucas as chair of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a move that signals a vote of confidence for her efforts to stamp out diversity programs and prioritise religious rights in the workplace. Trump elevated Lucas to acting chair of the agency in January and concurrently fired two Democratic commissioners, clearing the way to establish a Republican majority. Lauren Khouri, senior director of workplace equality at the National Women's Law Center, said: “Andrea Lucas was handpicked by Trump to lead the EEOC and his mission of weaponising the agency to attack hardworking people across the country . . . Lucas has a history of abandoning workers at every turn and leaving them without protection, including women workers, transgender and nonbinary workers, and workers of colour."

U.S. News

Westpac won’t appeal pivotal work-from-home ruling

A spokesperson for Australian bank Westpac has said the lender will not appeal a labour tribunal ruling after it lost a case to compel one of its workers to be in the office twice a week. Last month, The Fair Work Commission found in favour of Karlene Chandler, who challenged Westpac after the bank said she needed to work from a corporate office two days a week. Until earlier this year, she had been allowed to work remotely. Legal experts say the Fair Work decision is a "wake-up call" for bosses campaigning for a return to the office.

Reuters

The Australian

MercadoLibre head calls for tougher rules for Temu and Shein

Juan Martin de la Serna, the head of MercadoLibre's business in Argentina, has called for tighter regulations for e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein in Latin America, warning that an uneven playing field threatens local businesses and jobs. In the first half of 2025, Temu’s monthly active users in the region soared 143% to 105m from a year earlier. Mr De la Serna said the influx of cheap, low-quality imports from China risks undermining small and medium-sized businesses that account for about 90% of MercadoLibre’s sales volume, adding: “When you open up the market indiscriminately and an Asian, Chinese firm sends you product by ship, in reality you’re giving work to Chinese companies, not Argentines."

Bloomberg

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