Latest news with #vacancies
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
UK job market continues to weaken
The UK jobs market has weakened further as the number of employees on payroll continues to fall and wage growth slows, according to official annual rate of pay growth in the three months between March and May was 5%, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show, down from the previous figure of 5.2%.Meanwhile, the number of job vacancies has fallen again to 727,000, marking three continuous years of falling job ONS said survey data suggested that some firms may not be recruiting new workers or replacing ones who have left.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's WORST high streets revealed where a fifth of shops stand empty – is your hometown on the list?
THE UK's worst high streets have been revealed, where up to one in five shops are empty. Britain's high streets have been slowly declining amid the cost of living crisis, as banks, restaurants and huge chains all struggle to keep afloat. 1 A new report from Centre For Cities reveals that Newport, Wales has the highest proportion of empty shops in the UK, with 19% (almost one in five) of all of its shops boarded up. This is over twice as high as Cambridge and London, which have the lowest rates of shop vacancies in the UK, with just 8.5% and 7.4% of shops vacant. Bradford, Yorkshire, has the second highest number of shop vacancies, according to the report, with 18% (or one in six) of stores lying empty. The seaside town of Blackpool has the UK's third worst high street, according to the data, with 17.6% of shops shut. The report revealed that the towns and cities with the most shop vacancies have too many shops relative to the population. For example, in Newport, Wigan and Middlesbrough, there are between 2.5 to 2.9 shops per every 1000 people in the high street's catchment area. This is more than double the amount of shops per person than more successful high streets, such as in Brighton and Liverpool, where shop vacancies are below 10%. The report also highlighted that towns such as Newport and Bradford are close to large cities, with Cardiff and Leeds attracting more shoppers. Newport and Bradford lose nearly five percent of high street spending to their neighbouring cities, while Birkenhead looses 7.5% to nearby Liverpool. Additionally, in cities where there is a huge shopping mall outside of the city centre, such as Meadowhall in Sheffield and the Metrocentre, many shoppers choose to spend their money there instead. Co-op Faces Uncertain Future: 34 Stores at Risk Amid Financial Struggles According to the report, successful high streets have pivoted away from retail to food, rising to the challenge of online shopping. For example, in affluent cities such as York and Edinburgh £1 in every £4 is spent on food. Meanwhile, in Bradford, Stoke and Wigan, this is only £1 in every £10. Centre for Cities also suggested some changes that the Government should implement to turn the high streets around, including allocating £5 billion of its recently announced £113 billion investment to remake city centres with more office space, improved public realm and more shops. It also advised building more home in city centre locations and prioritising making city centres attractive to residents over tourists. Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: 'The high street has long been the bellwether of the local economy. Shuttered-up shops influence people's opinions about how successful their areas are. 'Our research shows the high street isn't failing everywhere. Where it is, the cause is not just cosmetic, it is economic. Policies relating to shopfronts, rents or parking miss the bigger picture. 'City centres that struggle are over-supplied with shops and under-supplied with people. If local residents don't have money to spend or a reason to be in the centre, high streets suffer – no matter what interventions are made. 'It is possible to revive the fortunes of struggling high streets. But it will require local and national governments to start by fixing the economy, and not just focussing on the high street itself.'
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German unemployment rate steady at 6.2% in June
The German unemployment rate was steady at 6.2% in June, official figures showed on Tuesday. The Federal Employment Agency, based in the southern city of Nuremberg, said the number of unemployed people fell by 5,000 to 2.914 million. The unemployment rate remained unchanged compared to May. The figure was 188,000 more than in June 2024, when the rate was 6%. "The labour market continues to show signs of economic weakness," said the agency's head, Andrea Nahles. "Unemployment continues to develop unfavourably." "Companies' willingness to hire remains low," she added. Germany's sluggish economy has shown signs of recovery in recent months after two consecutive years of recession, but the developments have not yet been reflected in the job market. The agency registered 632,000 vacancies in June, around 69,000 fewer than one year ago. Job portal Indeed said the number of vacancies on its website fell to a four-year low, with a 2.2% drop from May. Some 968,000 people received unemployment benefits in June, the agency said, up 101,000 from last year. Labour experts expect the number of jobless people to exceed the symbolic 3 million mark in the summer. Unemployment usually falls significantly in June due to seasonal factors, before a rise during the summer break.
News24
26-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Canal Walk owner Hyprop upbeat even as Edgars, Pick n Pay cut space
Hyprop has reported improved vacancies and a slight rise in footfall. Nadine Hutton/Bloomberg via Getty Images Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
RNZ News
23-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
The council with almost 50 vacant roles
Environment Southland underwent a major restructure earlier this year. Photo: ODT/Supplied The chair of a southern regional council says he is surprised by the number of available vacancies following a recent restructure. Environment Southland disestablished 51 roles and created 56 new ones in a shake-up which impacted almost a quarter of staff this year. When the proposal went live in February, a source told Local Democracy Reporting there were "lots of tears". It has now been revealed 48 roles are yet to be filled, with the council indicating there's no rush for some. Council chair Nicol Horrell said he was under the impression the figure was in the 20s, but didn't think the vacancies were impacting the day-to-day running of the council. "When you go through a restructure, there's always a wee bit of settling in. A lot of people have changed jobs, and that takes probably a little bit of time to settle down," he said. "But overall, no, I don't have any great concerns." Horrell said there were some positions the council wasn't rushing to fill, and less people doing the work was positive from a ratepayer's standpoint. Environment Southland said in April it was creating 58 new roles as part of the restructure but has since changed that figure to 56. As of Monday, there were three positions advertised on its website. Council general manager people and governance Amy Kubrycht said some of the vacancies were being recruited under priority while others would be phased in under the long-term plan. The council was using contractors, third party suppliers and secondments to help in areas where there were vacancies, Kubrycht said. "Our people are continuing to deliver their work programmes and have been doing a great job as we transition to the new structure." The council previously said it would undertake a contestable selection and expression of interest process with open recruitment for unfilled positions. If employees were unable to secure new roles within the restructure, they would be made redundant and receive a payout in accordance with employment agreements. A proposal document from February showed there were 212 roles at the organisation. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
