Economy

In a challenging conclusion to 2023, Scottish retailers faced a disappointing December as sales figures revealed a decline in real terms.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's latest Report on Jobs survey reveals a concerning trend in the Scottish job market, with a notable drop in permanent staff appointments during December.

CBRE has forecast a nascent economic recovery in the latter half of 2024, with a more robust rebound expected in 2025, according to its UK Real Estate Market Outlook 2024. This optimistic outlook is bolstered by the Bank of England's anticipated interest rate cuts in the second half of 2024, wh

The Bank of England (BoE) has again decided to maintain the base interest rate at 5.25%. This decision came amidst Governor Andrew Bailey's assertion that considerable effort is still needed to bring inflation down to the standard 2% target. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted six to three in

The UK economy has faced a downturn in October, with a contraction observed across all major sectors, which saw GDP fall by 0.3% month-on-month. The decline was notably consistent with the sluggish trends indicated in recent business surveys. The EY ITEM Club's chief economic advisor, Martin Be

As Christmas 2023 approaches, Scottish retailers have been faced with a challenging trading environment, marked by a slowdown in sales growth, according to the KPMG-SRC Scottish Retail Sales Monitor.

November marked a significant turnaround in Scotland's recruitment sector with a renewed rise in hiring activity, as revealed by the Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs.

In recent financial developments, gold prices soared to a record high of $2,135.40 (around £1,690) an ounce, spurred by the anticipation of lower global borrowing costs, a weakening US dollar, and expectations of loosening global monetary policies.

Scottish consumers are preparing for a more frugal festive season, as financial pressures cause a significant reduction in holiday spending, according to PwC's latest Festive Predictions. The annual research explores consumers’ Christmas shopping behaviours, from spending on gifts to their fes

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a slew of financial measures aimed at bolstering the economy by aiding businesses, pensioners, the hospitality industry, and the self-employed.

Resilient consumer spending may have helped the Scottish economy avoid a recession, but economic growth has been flat since Q2 of 2022 and will remain into 2024 when GVA is expected to rise by 0.3%, according to the EY ITEM Club Scottish Autumn forecast. The forecast adds that sentiment among busine

Amidst the economic turbulence of high inflation, soaring public debt, and the highest tax burden since World War Two, Armstrong Watson's experts comment on what to expect as the Autumn Statement approaches with high anticipation. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is poised on a tightrope, balancing calls for

Scottish consumers have begun to increasingly display a diminishing interest the Black Friday sales, with a mere 35% expressing intent to participate in 2023, signalling a significant drop from the previous year's national interest of 61% to 44%.

Scottish retailers have faced a daunting start to the crucial festive period, with total sales rising a modest 2.9% in October 2023 compared to the same month last year, falling below both the three-month and twelve-month average increases.

The UK's inflation rate has dipped to a two-year low of 4.6%, signalling a favourable turn in the country's economic landscape.