-
Microsoft unveils game-changing AI agents
Microsoft has introduced “autonomous agents,” advanced AI bots designed to assist with various office tasks, as announced by Satya Nadella in London. These agents can “understand the nature of your work and act on your behalf,” providing support across different business roles. They can monitor emails and perform tasks continuously, offering a significant advantage over…
-
New employment law will bring £5.5bn wage rise for carers
Labour’s Workers’ Rights Bill will give those working in the social care sector the right to collective bargaining on pay, the Sunday Telegraph reports, which could result in a £5.5bn wage rise for carers, costing £24bn over the course of this parliament. This is according to a forecast drawn up by the Department for Health…
-
Disability pay gap persists in UK
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), disabled workers in the UK earn an average of £2 less per hour than their able-bodied counterparts, resulting in a disability pay gap of 12.7% in 2023. This gap has remained largely unchanged for the past decade. The median hourly pay for disabled employees stands at £13.69,…
-
UK graduates face tough jobs market as AI transforms recruitment
Competition for graduate jobs has reached unprecedented levels, with the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) reporting an average of 140 applications per role. In total, over 1m applications were submitted for nearly 17,000 graduate vacancies in 2023-24, marking a 59% increase from the previous year. Stephen Isherwood, joint chief executive of ISE, said: “As AI…
-
London’s unemployment hits three-year high
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that London’s unemployment rate has surged to 5.5% for the June to August quarter, marking the highest level in nearly three years. This increase translates to 280,000 individuals seeking employment, contrasting with a slight decline in the national unemployment rate, which fell to 4.0%. London…
-
KPMG US chief calls for urgent reform to halt slide in accounting ranks
KPMG’s US chief is urging the industry to make it easier to become an accountant in order to halt the “brewing crisis” in the profession. Paul Knopp has suggested that students should only be required to have four years of education, rather than five, to qualify as an accountant. He did not propose dropping the…
