Business News Round Up (06/11/2025)
Town centre footfall strengthens as shoppers return to UK high streets
A new report has found that there has been a clear uplift in town centre activity across the country in September, signalling renewed momentum for high streets after the summer period. The data compiled by UK visitor behaviour and footfall insight provider Place Informatics found that national footfall grew by 3.92% year-on-year, accelerating from 2.87% in August, with every region experiencing growth. The trend reflects a strong return to normal routines after summer holidays, supported by the return to work and school, early seasonal retail activity, and continued improvements in consumer sentiment. The figures present one of the most encouraging nationwide patterns seen in 2025 so far, with universal growth across the whole of the UK. Several regions outpaced the UK average, demonstrating broad-based momentum across the country. Northern Ireland led the UK with 5.29% year-on-year growth, closely followed by London at 4.97%.
Work-life balance drives one in four jobs moves in Scotland
Over a quarter of Scottish workers (26%) who have left their organisation did so primarily to improve their work-life balance, according to research from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development. The survey of over 1,000 Scottish workers shows that many people find it difficult to balance work with their personal life, with high workloads, long commutes, and limited access to flexible working among the main drivers. In response, the CIPD is calling for employers in Scotland to support employee wellbeing by ensuring line managers help keep workloads manageable and by adopting more creative approaches to flexible working that go beyond traditional remote or hybrid models. Options such as job sharing, term-time working, and flexible hours can all contribute to supporting a healthier work-life balance.
Manchester economy thrives as other UK cities face growth challenges, Oxford Economics finds
Greater Manchester’s thriving economy is surging ahead of the rest of the nation, highlighting the “stagnant” position London has occupied since the 2008 financial crisis, a new report has found. As Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlines the productivity challenges confronting the UK ahead of the Budget, fresh analysis from Oxford Economics has analysed the issues plaguing the capital and contrasted its progress – or absence of it – with that of its Northern counterpart, which has been dubbed the “trailblazer for local devolution”. The report, authored by cities and regions economist Alexander Harvey, contends that “nowhere has the productivity slowdown been more apparent than in London” since the 2008 global financial crisis, as reported by City AM. Harvey notes that gross value added (GVA) per job in London has risen by an average of just 0.2 per cent annually up to 2024. This compares with a national average of 0.6 per cent.
https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/manchester-economy-thrives-uk-cities-32810844
Three priorities outlined by Scotland’s chief entrepreneur to increase number of ‘scale-up’ companies
Three priorities have been outlined by Scotland’s chief entrepreneur to increase the number of scale-up companies in the country. Ana Stewart, a businesswoman and investor, has signalled that she would like to see closer engagement with startups to understand their needs, and will launch a scale-up survey to better assess their needs. She also wants to see more tailored support for scale-ups – designing interventions that support scale-ups to access new talent, capital and markets. And finally, Stewart wants to introduce consistent reporting to track progress and provide a transparent picture of Scotland’s entrepreneurial health – to better measure performance and impact. The priorities build on progress already delivered this year, including multi-year backing for Scottish EDGE, the launch of Dealroom Scotland, and ongoing investment in implementing Stewart’s Pathways report supporting more women to start and scale businesses.