Google has decided to abandon its objective of hiring more employees from historically underrepresented groups and is reassessing its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The move reflects a broader trend among U.S. companies, which have been retracting their diversity efforts that followed the heightened focus on inclusivity after the protests against police violence in 2020….

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the chief executive of Klarna, says the payments firm has saved the equivalent of $10m a year by using AI its marketing work, reducing its reliance on human workers, while AI tools had also reduced the time that its in-house lawyers spend generating contracts. Mr Siemiatkowski said: “I am of the opinion that…

According to Which?, consumers are increasingly vulnerable to crime and unsafe products due to significant cuts in trading standards services. A recent study revealed that some councils have fewer than one trading standards officer per 100,000 residents. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute reported a more than 50% reduction in funding over the past decade, coinciding…

Professional services firm EY is set to relocate 1,200 employees from its Birmingham office at One Colmore Square to a new site at Three Chamberlain Square in 2026. The new office, occupying 70,000 sq ft on the top three floors of a 10-storey building, is part of the Paradise Birmingham development, which is expected to…

Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly considering an agreement to allow 18 to 30-year-olds in the UK and EU to live, work and study in each other’s countries. A revamped youth visa scheme to allow greater freedom of movement for under-30s is likely a requirement for the UK to secure a “reset” in relations with Brussels….

CNBC reports that Google employees have launched a petition for “job security” as they prepare for more expected layoffs. The petition urges Google CEO Sundar Pichai to offer buyouts before conducting layoffs and to guarantee severance to employees that do get laid off. The petition has been signed by more than 1,250 employees. CNBC says…