THE HOT STORY

People to be given ‘right to try’ work without losing benefits

The government has introduced new legislation that will enable disabled claimants to work without the risk of losing their benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions has laid amendments to existing laws, and the changes are set to take effect by the end of this month. The initiative, which has been called the "Right to Try", is key to a government strategy to prevent people from being "trapped on benefits." Minister for Social Security and Disability, Stephen Timms, said: Giving sick and disabled people legal protection to try work without fear is vital for their futures and for growing our economy . . . With 2.8 million people out of work due to long-term sickness, we’re removing the barriers that have held people back for too long."

GOV.UK

The Independent

WORKFORCE

Workers displaced by AI could face prolonged setbacks

A new Goldman Sachs report which looked at decades of worker displacement in fields hit by new technology offers a warning to AI-displaced workers who face potentially steep economic pain. “AI-driven displacement could impose lasting costs on affected workers, worsening labour market outcomes for several years,” authors Pierfrancesco Mei and Jessica Rindels wrote. The report analysed four decades of federal data and tracked the lives of more than 20,000 Americans born between the 1950s and 1980s. The researchers found that displaced workers in jobs hit by technological shifts - such as telephone operators and typists - suffered both short- and long-term economic impacts when compared with workers who lost jobs in more stable occupations.

Wall Street Journal

Half of nursing graduates in Wales face unemployment, union warns

A shortage of jobs means as many as half of all new nursing graduates in Wales could be left without work, the Royal College of Nursing Cymru has said. Barely a week ago it was revealed newly qualified paramedics were being advised to look for work overseas because of a recruitment freeze. One trainee said she had been left feeling "completely in the dark" while another said she had worked thousands of hours for nothing. The Welsh government has said it is committed to ensuring investment in NHS training is matched by "meaningful" employment opportunities.

BBC News

TECHNOLOGY

NHS data chief pushes for deeper rollout of Palantir technology despite outcry

NHS chief data officer Ming Tang has vowed to ignore controversy about Palantir while setting out plans to embed the US company’s technology deeper into hospitals over the coming year.

Financial Times

STRATEGY

BDO slashes 31 partners in shake-up

BDO plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 6%, targeting 31 partners, primarily older staff nearing retirement. A spokesperson said: "To ensure we are a partnership operating at peak performance in high-growth areas, a small number of partners from each business area is leaving the firm." The decision follows similar job cuts at KPMG, which announced 600 layoffs. The professional services sector faces challenges, including staffing shortages and a perception problem among younger talent. BDO’s profits fell 7% last year while the average payout for its equity partners declined from £681,000 to £589,000.

Financial Times

City AM

ECONOMY

IMF warns defence spending surge could drive higher global debt

The IMF warns that rising defence spending amid escalating geopolitical tensions risks widening fiscal deficits and increasing global debt, despite providing a short-term boost to economic activity. Analysis of over 160 countries shows defence spending booms are largely financed through borrowing, with wartime surges particularly costly - raising public debt by around 14 percentage points of GDP while reducing real social spending. With global debt already at a record $348tn and countries ramping up military budgets in response to conflicts such as the Iran war, the IMF cautions that policymakers face growing trade-offs between security priorities and long-term fiscal sustainability.

Bloomberg

Financial Times

INTERNATIONAL

Lufthansa cabin crew begin strike

Lufthansa cabin crew union UFO is calling on staff at the core brand and its ‌subsidiary airline Cityline to hold a one-day strike today. The union said the airline had shown no flexibility in talks over working conditions for the 19,000 cabin crew members or the redundancy package for roughly 800 employees of Cityline, ‌which ⁠is set to wind down. “This situation could have been avoided – the responsibility lies with Lufthansa, which has so far not even managed to put forward a proposal suitable for negotiation,” UFO chief Joachim Vázquez Bürger said.

Reuters

Singapore government offices told to restrict use of air-conditioning

Government offices in Singapore are being told to reduce electricity consumption in a bid to boost the nation’s energy resilience. Measures highlighted by the National Environment Agency include managing operating times and settings for air-conditioning, and turning off non-essential equipment when not in use. Singapore is just one of many countries which is taking steps to save energy as the conflict in the Middle East tightens global supplies. South Korea is considering curbs on driving to ameliorate the impact of the conflict, while government facilities in the Philippines have shortened their work week to save energy.

Bloomberg

Disney plans to cut 1,000 jobs

Walt Disney plans to cut as many as 1,000 roles in ‌the coming weeks. Many of the cuts will be made in the company's recently consolidated marketing department. The ⁠plans pre-date Josh D'Amaro stepping into his new role as Disney's chief executive officer in March. Disney employed about 231,000 people as of the end of fiscal ‌year ⁠2025. The planned layoffs would affect less than 1% of the company's total employees.

Wall Street Journal

OTHER

22,000 students told to pay back 'mis-sold' maintenance loans

More than 20,000 students at 15 universities and colleges including London Met, Bath Spa, Leeds Trinity, Southampton Solent and Oxford Brookes have been told they were given maintenance loans and grants in error and now face demands to pay the money back. The students, who are all studying weekend courses, received letters from the Student Loans Company (SLC) or their university saying their courses had never been eligible for maintenance loans or childcare grants. One letter from the SLC says the student's university provided incorrect information and "unfortunately, they didn't tell us you only attended on the weekend." It states that any "over-payment" will have to be repaid. The Department for Education said students had been let down by "incompetence or abuse of the system."

BBC News

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