Business news 5 September 2025
Pace of job cuts accelerates. Businesses baffled by post-Brexit rules. Government borrowing, retail, tax, markets, insolvencies & more business news that we thought would interest our members.
James Salmon, Operations Director.
✂️Pace of job cuts accelerates
UK employers cut jobs at an annual rate of 0.5% in the three months to August, according to a Bank of England survey of chief financial officers. This marks the fastest pace since 2021. Nearly half of respondents said they were cutting jobs. A result of the decision to increase employer National Insurance (NI) contributions. With a higher minimum wage also having an impact. Since the NI increase came into force in April, 20% of companies have reported lowering wages, while a third have increased prices. The analysis also shows that annual wage growth came in at 4.6% in the same period, with this 0.1% lower than the three months to July. Looking ahead, the poll found that expectations for employment growth over the next year fell by 0.3% to 0.2% in the three months to August.
😕Businesses baffled by post-Brexit rules
An independent review led by Lord Murphy has found that SMEs in Northern Ireland are often confused by post-Brexit trade rules. The review notes that while larger companies can manage new costs, SMEs struggle with the complexities of the trade arrangements. Lord Murphy said: “These companies find themselves often bewildered by the processes.”
💷Government borrowing costs ease
UK Government long-term borrowing costs have eased, having hit the highest level since 1998 earlier this week. The interest rate on 30-year government bonds, which rose to 5.75% on Wednesday, has since slipped to 5.57%. Despite concern over the recent increase, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey insists it is “important not to focus too much” on longer-term bond yields. He told the Treasury Committee that while the 30-year yield on UK bonds had hit “quite a high number … it is not what is being used for funding at all at the moment actually.”
🛍️Retail accelerates
UK Retail Sales accelerated ahead of expectations in July. This follows the continued good weather. But it fell short of consensus on an annual basis, the Office for National Statistics reported on Friday. Total retail sales volumes are estimated to have risen by 0.6% in July, accelerating from an increase of 0.3% in June and comfortably beating an FXStreet-cited consensus for 0.2% growth in July.
🏠House Prices
UK House Prices rose for the third consecutive month in August to a record high. Although the rate of growth slowed slightly from the month prior, Halifax reported on Friday. The Halifax house price index found that the average UK house price increased by 0.3% to a new record high of £299,331, slowed slightly from a 0.4% growth in July to £298,237 and slowed against the 0.6% rise reported for August 2024.
📈Markets
📈Global stocks are advancing ahead of the US jobs report. Yesterday, the FTSE 100 closed up 0.42% at 91216.87 and the Euro Stoxx 50 closed up 0.41% at 5346.71. Overnight in the US the S&P 500 rose 0.85% to 6502.08 and the Composite NASDAQ rose 0.98% to 21707.69.
💱This morning on currencies, the US dollar has slipped and the pound is currently worth $1.348 and €1.153 .
On Commodities, 🛢️Oil (Brent) is under pressure ahead of an OPEC+ meeting at $66.97 & 💰Gold continues it record breaking run at $3550.
📈On the stock markets, the FTSE 100 is currently up 0.25% at 9240 and the Eurostoxx 50 is up 0.06% at 5350.
The common theme across markets is anticipation of the US jobs report. Which could influence Federal Reserve policy decisions and market direction.
🏦Lloyds
Lloyds Banking is set to put thousands of its lowest-performing staff at risk of dismissal. The UK bank is overhauling its strategy in a bid to embed a “high-performance culture”. The Edinburgh-based lender plans to change how it monitors the performance of its employees. And how it manages staff turnover within the business. Its workforce totaled about 61,200 at the end of 2024. So about 3,000 people viewed to be among the bottom 5% are being put at risk of dismissal.
⚖️Partnership tax rethink could pull in £1.9bn
The Treasury could raise £1.9bn a year by ending a tax exemption for business partnerships. This is according to a report from the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax). Partnerships currently avoid employer National Insurance contributions. And CenTax has proposed equalizing the tax treatment of partners with regular employees. Calling for the end of the “stark differences in how earnings are taxed” that give partnerships a “significant advantage.” This would affect 190,000 people, mostly in high-paying sectors such as law, accountancy and finance.
🏦Chancellor warned over tax hike on banks
David Postings is chief executive of banking industry lobby group UK Finance. He has warned Rachel Reeves that tax hikes on the sector could hinder economic growth. While Mr Postings has praised the Chancellor’s decision to put the financial services sector at the heart of growth plans, he warned that increasing taxes would harm its international competitiveness. Tax hikes, he cautioned, would “run counter to the Government’s aim of supporting the financial services sector”. They would also “risk undermining the sector’s ability to drive growth, innovation and productivity across the UK economy.” Mr Postings also noted that the financial services sector made a significant tax contribution of approximately £45bn last year. The Chancellor is expected to increase taxes in the Budget as she looks to plug a gap in the public finances. Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics, has predicted banks will “bear the brunt.”
🏠Taxes on homeowners could hit downsizers
Downsizers could face a heavier tax burden after the Budget! The Chancellor is reportedly considering new taxes on sellers of homes worth more than £500,000. The move may replace the current stamp duty system. It could also be accompanied by capital gains tax on primary residences over £1.5m. Industry experts warn such measures would hit older homeowners hardest. Particularly affected are those whose properties have appreciated significantly over decades, They may be discouraged from moving. This could have a knock-on effect on the wider housing market. With downsizers accounting for around 40% of property sales last year.
📦Amazon’s tax bill hits £1bn
Amazon paid £1bn in tax in the UK last year, with revenues increasing to £29bn from £27bn in 2023. The company, which has faced criticism regarding its tax practices, claims to be among the “top ten UK taxpayers.”
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➕Why you should become a member of CPA!
The Credit Protection Association (CPA) has been assisting thousands of UK businesses to get paid, since 1914. We have supported our members through all sorts of difficult trading environments. With high interest rates and a struggling economy and elevated insolvencies, our services can help your business navigate these difficult waters.
Unlike other credit management and debt collection companies, we offer a range of services to our members that are all included as part of a fixed annual subscription, tailored to your needs.
Under your annual subscription you will have access to our main services:
- Our Creditcare credit reports provide credit ratings and limits along with a host of detailed information on your potential customers to enable you to trade with confidence and set appropriate credit policies for new customers.
- Our monitoring service will alert you to any significant changes in the status of those customers.
- ️Our Overdue account recovery service can be used to chase up payment on any invoices to those customers that have not been paid on time. Unlike other debt collection companies, this service directs your customer to pay direct to you and allows you to maintain your goodwill with them, rather than inserting ourselves into your relationship with you customer and insisting they pay CPA instead. Our Overdue account recovery service resolves over 80% of accounts referred to us.
All of the above services and other complimentary services such address verification, are included in your subscription!
And for the small minority of debts not resolved through our Overdue account recovery service, you can refer the debt to our collections department to escalate the late payment collections process.
CPA eases cash from tardy debtors – Efficiently, Effectively, Economically and Ethically. And we provide credit information so you can monitor and assess your key customers and be warned of any potential risks. CPA has been improving business cash flow for over 100 years, by tackling late payers and campaigning against the late payment culture in the UK.
Unlike other credit management companies, we offer our members a fixed annual subscription regardless of how high the value of their debts maybe!
Rather than to borrowing more money to improve your cashflow, CPA suggests that business owners tackle the problem at its source. If late payments are a strain on your cashflow, then talk to CPA about how we can help you reduce those late payments.
Just ☎️ call Peter Uwins, CPA’s National Sales Manager, on 020 8846 0000 (business hours) or 💻 email nsm@cpa.co.uk today.
When you see your money come in, you will be so glad you used CPA.
️ The Credit Protection Association – Prompting Punctual Payments – Ethical, Effective, Efficient, Economical collections
Do you have a commercial late payer that is causing you grief? Use CPA’s no-win, no-fee, commercial debt recovery service!
If you have a particular business customer who is late paying and causing you sleepless nights, why not offer it to CPA’s collection department for purchase on recourse?
CPA’s collection department will then pursue the debt. We will be liable for any costs incurred and then when we have recovered the debt, we will pay you the net principle debt recovered less our percentage.
Once you have enjoyed that success then you can consider the more cost effective membership which includes our Overdue Account Recovery service and Status/Credit reports as well as a range of other complimentary services.
Just call ☎️ 020 8846 0000 and ask for Godfrey Nelson or Cris Shirley (business hours) or 💻email debtpurchase@cpa.co.uk today.
️ The Credit Protection Association – Prompting Punctual Payments – Ethical, Effective, Efficient, Economical collections.
Get compensated for previous late payments
Have you been paid late by business customers in the last six years?
Maybe you no longer work with them. Under ⚖️ legislation, you are entitled to compensation you for those late payments you have suffered.
You put up with the PAIN – now claim the GAIN!
Claim late payment compensation (LPC) from former business customers who paid you late in the last six years!
CPA (LPC) Recoveries is using our bespoke software and decades of experience to do just that for our clients
Check our compensation calculator to see how much your business could be owed!
Discover NOW the potential value of late payment compensation hidden in your sales ledger!
️ The Credit Protection Association – Prompting Punctual Payments – Ethical, Effective, Efficient, Economical collections.