Business News Round Up (13/10/2025)
North West workers cautious amid stuttering jobs market, new data reveals
Workers in the North West are adopting a cautious approach to job hunting amid a weak labour market, according to the inaugural global Annual Jobs Report by employment specialist, Employment Hero. It said the October 2024 Budget has had a lasting impact on the UK employment landscape. Negative perceptions of the jobs market are now widespread among workers in the North West, as 63% of those surveyed believe that the labour market is getting worse. At the same time, 46% feel there is too much competition for jobs, the joint second-highest proportion of all UK regions surveyed. This is demonstrated by a large proportion of workers in the North West (48%) feeling settled in their current role and having no intention to move elsewhere. Employment Hero’s latest platform data shows that the employment rate in the North has faltered over the past year.
Autumn rains dampen Scottish shopper footfall in September
Shopper footfall across Scotland experienced its sharpest decline since June, falling by 2.3% in September compared to the previous year. The downturn, which followed a modest 0.4% dip in August, has been attributed to a combination of stormy weather and persistent economic uncertainty affecting consumer confidence. The data, covering the five weeks from 31 August to 4 October 2025, reveals a widespread slump. Shopping centres saw a significant reversal in fortunes, with footfall decreasing by 1.2% after enjoying a 0.8% rise in August. Retail parks remained consistent, recording a 1.3% decrease for the second consecutive month. Scotland’s largest cities were also affected, with footfall in Glasgow falling by 2.7% and Edinburgh by 2.5%.
Productivity strongest in UK mid-market segment for seventh year
Analysis from Grant Thornton UK finds that labour productivity of UK mid-size businesses, when measured as average annual revenue per employee, has surpassed that of larger and smaller companies, and the UK average, for the past six years. Compiled in advance of the Autumn Budget 2025, the research, which analyses labour productivity levels of UK businesses over the past eleven years, finds that, in 2024, the productivity gap by company size continued to widen, with mid-size businesses (MSBs) pulling further ahead than other segments. This trajectory has continued since 2018 when MSBs started to outshine both larger and smaller businesses. In 2024, average annual revenue per employee was 11% higher at MSBs than at larger companies (up 4% since 2023) and 15% higher than the UK average for businesses with 10+ employees (up 3% since 2023).
https://londonlovesbusiness.com/productivity-strongest-in-uk-mid-market-segment-for-seventh-year
Rise in ‘Shadow AI’ tools raising security concerns for UK organisations
New Microsoft research reveals that 71% of UK employees have used unapproved consumer AI tools at work, and 51% continue to do so every week. The use of ‘Shadow AI’ presents a growing risk to the privacy and security of UK organisations, the report says. Generative AI tools and chatbot assistants are now mainstream in the UK workforce, with employees saving around 12 billion hours a year across the economy, equivalent to more than £207 billion worth of time, the research finds. But a worryingly low proportion of respondents expressed an understanding or concern over the risks of using unapproved external AI assistants. 32% said they were concerned about the privacy of company or customer data inputted into consumer AI tools, and only 29% were concerned about the security of their organisation’s IT systems. Employees report that they turn to Shadow AI tools for their ease and familiarity.