Business News Round Up (24/09/2021)
Small business risk losing out on £827 billion of growth over next five years
A new report exposes a significant risk that the UK’s small and micro businesses will miss out on an estimated £827 billion growth opportunity over the next five years if they are not supported to digitise. Technology has already played a critical role in supporting small businesses through the pandemic, with 41% of small business owners saying their company would not have survived without digital tools, according to – ‘Striving to Thrive: The state of play for micro and small businesses’ – commissioned by Mastercard from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). As we emerge from the worst of the economic impact, and the nation’s small businesses consider growth prospects in the post-pandemic economy, support using digital tools is cited by business owners as the most important factor in achieving their growth aspirations following funding and government support packages. A further 47% believe technology will become more important to their company’s success over the next five years, while 45% note that use of technology has already helped them to expand their customer base, and around a third say technological adoption has led to increased turnover and increased profit.
Northern life sciences ‘supercluster’ could create 50,000 new jobs, report says
Bringing together the North’s expertise in health and life sciences could create more than 50,000 new jobs and add £16.5bn to the economy each year, a new report says. The report by the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA) and the NP11 group of Northern LEPs says the academic and business expertise in life sciences across the region could rival the ‘golden triangle’ of London, Oxford, and Cambridge. Developing the region’s health sector into a “second UK supercluster” could both improve health – and therefore productivity – in the North, but also create more than 50,000 new jobs and more than triple the industry’s contribution to the economy. he report comes as dozens of life sciences firms in the North have played a key role in the UK response to the coronavirus pandemic, including Fujifilm Diosynth at Billingham, Croda in East Yorkshire, and GSK at Barnard Castle, all of whom are involved with vaccine manufacturing. The North currently has around 21% of the UK’s life sciences workforce, plus areas of health expertise at a number of universities, leading health trusts and National Institutes for Health Research.
https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/northern-life-sciences-supercluster-could-21656440
UK confidence falls as consumers brace for income squeeze
U.K. consumer confidence fell at its sharpest pace since coronavirus lockdown rules were tightened almost a year ago, reflecting a surge in inflation and looming tax increases. September’s 5-point drop to minus 13 was the biggest decline since October 2020, according to data from the market research firm GfK. It came amid fears of a “potential cost of living crisis,” with households facing surging food and fuel costs, the end of furlough benefits and a 12 billion-pound ($16.5 billion) tax raid from April to pay for health and social care. “Consumers are clearly worrying about their personal finance situation and the wider economic prospects,” said Joe Staton, client strategy director for GfK. “When consumer confidence drops, shoppers tend to spend less. This dampens the overall economic prospects. This really is an unwelcome picture.” The figures add to a darkening outlook for the U.K. economy after official figures showed the recovery stalled in July and a survey of purchasing managers indicated the weakest growth in seven months in September.
Tech jobs in Edinburgh and Glasgow up by more than a quarter
Tech jobs in Glasgow and Edinburgh have increased by more than a quarter in the past two years – some of the highest growth in the whole of the UK. That’s according to data analysed by job search engine Adzuna for the UK’s Digital Economy Council and Tech Nation, which found that in Scotland’s two largest cities, tech jobs make up 30% of all advertised roles. Strong employee demand for jobs isn’t only confined to the tech sector, with general vacancies increasing by 11.2% on average in Scotland month-on-month throughout 2021 to 46,990 in June. Scottish tech start-ups and scale-ups collectively employ 135,000 people, the third-highest in the UK after the South East and London. The strength of the sector in Scotland is also translating into high salary offers, with Edinburgh boasting some of the highest salaries for the UK tech industry. The median digital tech salary in the city is £41,250, second only to London’s top range of £55,000. Meanwhile, Glasgow is ranked third in the UK for the cost of living versus salary for tech roles.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/tech-jobs-edinburgh-glasgow-up-25044587