Graduate pay rises but fewer work in high-skilled jobs, data shows
UK government survey records only 57% of 21 to 30-year-old graduates are in high-skilled employment Young graduates in England have enjoyed a pick-up in average pay, but the proportion in high-skilled work has fallen, according to government figures. Echoing other reports on the high proportion of graduates in non-graduate roles, the Department for Business Innovation […]
Japanese insurer Mitsui Sumitomo to buy UK's Amlin for $5.3bn
Insurance giant becomes latest insurer from Japan to launch overseas acquisition in face of slow growth at home Japan’s Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) has agreed to buy Britain’s Amlin, the latest Japanese insurer to launch an overseas acquisition while it faces slowing growth at home. The $5.3bn (£3.47bn) all-cash deal is expected to be completed […]
Basic Water Needs will provide 540,000 Malawians with safe, clean water by 2018
Business Call to Action member will also create jobs for women and reduce CO2 emissions Basic Water Needs, a Dutch manufacturer and marketer of household water treatment and safe storage products, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to distribute its low-cost Tulip Table Top water filters to more than 540,000 […]
Paddy Power and Betfair merger agreed
Deal will create one of the world’s largest online gambling businesses, although the firms warned of job losses Paddy Power and Betfair have agreed on a £5bn merger to create one of the world’s largest online gambling businesses, with more than 7,000 staff and £1.2bn in sales. The companies confirmed details of the tie-up after […]
Costa Coffee owner to raise prices in response to national living wage
Whitbread says the costs of the chancellor’s increase in the minimum wage to £7.20 will be substantial Whitbread, the owner of Premier Inn hotels and Costa Coffee, said it expected to cut spending and increase some prices to counter the “substantial” cost of the “national living wage”, as it posted slowing second-quarter sales. The chancellor, […]
Could Compostable Electronics Solve E-Waste Problem?
Researchers from the Young Investigator Network at Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) are building towards a future where gadgets and electronics are just as compostable as banana peels and old coffee grounds. The team have managed to develop printed electronics using compostable materials. Electronics are usually made out of silicon, heavy metals and other elements, […]
Self-Healing Plastic Inspired By Squid Teeth
Squid teeth have inspired the design of a new type of super-strong plastic that self-heals. Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have been studying the ring teeth of cephalopods, like squid and octopus, which heal themselves in water. The scientists unlocked the genetic code that enables the teeth to heal when broken. They then artificially […]
China plans stock market 'circuit breaker' to curb volatility
Trading would be suspended for half an hour if the indexes fall by 5% according to a proposal by the securities regulator China is planning a “circuit breaker” mechanism to prevent any further losses on its volatile stock markets. Related: Weak Chinese trade data fuels slowdown fears – business live Continue reading… Source: The Guardian […]
Living wage fears sending 'shockwaves' through UK labour market
Many employers are scaling back recruitment plans to avoid paying new £7.20 minimum rate for over-25s, Manpower survey shows George Osborne’s £7.20 national living wage is sending “shockwaves” through the labour market as employers seek ways to minimise the extra costs, one of Britain’s largest recruiters has said. Manpower said its survey of 2,100 employers […]
Share buyback is a terrible advert for Glencore's abilities
As the mining company searches for ways to reduce its net debt by about £10bn, last year’s £1bn buyback looks badly timed The curse of the share buyback has struck again. Glencore has become the latest company to spend hundreds of millions of pounds buying back its own shares only to find that it really […]