Business and Economics

New job data has revealed almost a half a million female and ethnic minority jobseekers in the finance and IT sectors will not be considered for roles this year purely because of the name on their CV. The research revealed that even though employment in finance and IT is on the increase, the proportion of women and minorities working there has fallen. There are also inherent barriers to progression for those already in-situ: women with supervisory responsibility in the finance sector are...

With over 900 franchise brands and 44,000 operations, it's fair to say the UK high street is buzzing with franchise activity. Often unbeknown to the public. Most of us recognise McDonald’s as a global franchise, but Dominos, Costa and many more sing from the same hymn sheet. In the past ten years the franchise sector's contribution to the economy has grown by 46 per cent, bringing in £15.1 billion last year. For Brits who want more independence over their career it is...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor GDP could grow in Europe due to migration through long-term boost to jobs market and greater state spending, says IMF report. It also claims that any negative effects will be short lived and won’t negatively impact on native workers in the long-term. The IMF believe the recent refugee arrivals will raise economic growth a small degree in the short-term – especially in Austria, Germany and Sweden. Also if they are integrated into the job market...

The price of petrol is likely to drop further in 2016 following the Iran nuclear deal that freed the country of sanctions. The International Energy Agency has predicted that “unless something changes, the oil market could drown in over-supply” in 2016. Over supply of crude has already resulted in prices dropping to around the $28 a barrel mark, but it could fall further. The IEA expect that higher production from Iran will lead to the market being drowned in oil, with production set to...

When thinking about European versions of Silicon Valley, three cities come to mind — London, Berlin and Amsterdam. All three are unique and ready to rival each other to be the most fruitful in promoting new business and the most successful in acquiring funding. Recently, however, the amount of venture capital funding that has been invested in London has surprised even the most optimistic of expectations, leaving everyone wondering if the Tech City is turning into a Tech Empire. As...

New Oxfam research has revealed runaway inequality has created a world where 62 people own as much as the poorest half of the world's population. The report, published ahead of the annual gathering of the world's financial and political elites in Davos, found the wealth of the poorest half of the world's population - that's 3.6 billion people - has fallen by a trillion dollars since 2010.  This drop has occurred despite the global population increasing by around 400 million people during...

By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Richard Branson's business empire is about to grow again as his Virgin Care organisation is about to take over Sheppey and Sittingbourne community hospitals as part of a £126 million deal. The Virgin group will oversee the running of four new hospitals - Sittingbourne Memorial, Sheppey Community Hospital, Livingstone Hospital in Dartford and Gravesham Hospital in Gravesend.The community hospitals, community nursing, intermediate care, community neuro rehabilitation, speech and language therapy, podiatry and continence services will...

Yorkshire powerhouse Leeds has been revealed as the best city for a payrise in 2016 according to new data. CV-Library stats show salaries grew by 4.7 per cent in Leeds last year, with its county neighbour Sheffield close by with growth of 4.2 per cent. London saw a 2.5 per cent growth in advertised salaries in 2015 compared with 2014, coming in fourth on the list of top ten salary growers. Proving to be among the best off in the...

A new year, a new record-high price for wholesalers in Japan. Around this time every year a big fat tuna sells for an astronomical price in Tokyo's behemoth fish market, bringing a year of prosperity to the buyer. For the fifth time in a row, this year's highest bidder was Kiyoshi Kimura, president of a sushi restaurant chain, who bought a 200kg (440lb) endangered bluefin tuna for 14 million yen ($117,283; £80,000) at the first auction of the year at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish...