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There are a couple of things to be cheerful about this Monday albeit with some qualifications. The first is that The Scotsman is reporting more jobs growth in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. According to the Bank of Scotland’s latest labour survey, both permanent and temporary staff placements increased, reflective of greater client demand, but the rates of growth fell to eleven a….
As has been the case for the last few months, the latest news on the economic weather front in Scotland could best be described as unsettling. Today, on the back of a fresh round of reports and surveys, The Scotsman’s business section leads with the headline ‘Mixed picture for Scotland with confidence still fragile’. However uncertain the economic outlook, the weather seems to b….
This was to have been a blog on how Scotland, perhaps bizarrely, seems to be weathering the financial storm better than the rest of the UK. A recent report from the Office of National Statistics seems to show that London and Scotland are bucking a wider national trend in falling numbers of businesses. And then this story of an Edinburgh restaurant’s PR mishap popped up and all thoug….
At the time of writing, the economic outlook is gloomy. The Times is warning of a new credit crunch while The Telegraph is drawing its readers’ attention to the possibility of protectionism leading to a global depression. The Observer is comparing events in the world economy to a Madhatter’s Teaparty and The Mail is reporting on the occupation of several American financial centres un….
The Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney (pictured) unveiled the government’s spending plans for the next three years yesterday. The headline grabbing measure is a ‘preventative’ tax on large retailers selling alcohol and tobacco; a move which critics have dubbed the Son of Tesco Tax after last year’s failed initiative to tax the supermarkets. A number of Swinney’s plans ….
Recently released figures from the Banks of Scotland show that there was further improvement in the Scottish jobs market in August. The Bank of Scotland Labour Market Barometer, a composite indicator designed to provide a snapshot of labour market conditions – registered 53.9 in August, down from 55.0 in July. The latest figure signalled a solid, albeit weaker, improvement in Scotla….
We live in turbulent times, not least because of the effects of Hurricane Katia which has been battering Scotland recently. However, Scotland’s manufacturing sector seems to be weathering the wider economic storm according to the latest PMI report from the Bank of Scotland. ‘Activity expands solidly as growth of new business hits four-month high’ is the report’s headline. Summ….
News that Edinburgh University is to start charging students who do not live in Scotland £36,000 to complete a four year degree course has sparked huge controversy. The fees, which will be phased in for the academic year 2012/13, are greater than those charged at Cambridge or Oxford where a three year degree is standard. The University is fighting back with claims that their bursary ….
Today’s Scotsman has an eye-catching report and a leader in which Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, warns that Scotland could become a third world economy by 2030. McWilliams made a similar claim in 2001 when he wrote that Scotland would be a third world economy by 2050. The events and trends of the last decade have prompted him t….
Scottish Vistage members enjoyed a lively Member Guest Day with Philip Hesketh last week. Around sixty members and their guests were as entertained as they were informed by Phil and his presentation on how to be more persuasive and influential. From handy tips on how to be an Amazon best-seller to the purpose of life, Phil covered a lot of ground in a short time. Perhaps one of ….
