With a new government now in situ, the big question is, what will this mean for the job market, and what are the opportunities for the astute? The Labour party have already put forward some plans regarding how they want to change employment law. Similarly the energy industry looks like it will be getting a boost. What are the other areas to watch for?
Is it the responsibility of Government to directly stimulate economic growth, or is it for them to create the environment where businesses invest themselves? Statism, or interventionist supply side policies are coming to the fore once more, and for the incoming Labour Government, there are a myriad of policy proposals designed to achieve growth.
For the UK, Financial Services has a critical part to play, in terms of GDP, our balance of payments and employment. Within the Financial Services industry though, increasingly Fintech is starting to come to the fore. New challengers such as Starling, Monzo, Revolut and Wise have disrupted the incumbents and as a result, the industry has permanently changed.
The impact of the budget on tax recruitment is apparent. March 2024 was the record month for tax vacancies going back to January 2019, beating even the peak post pandemic months in 2021. At the same time, in a recent report featured in Bloomberg, the UK is set to see 9,500 millionaires repatriate away, which is more than any other country globally, with the exception of China.
With the general election looming, increasingly the question is becoming one of judgement. Who do we trust to represent the country and with that, the economy? The UK economy is consumption led, meaning that what happens in retail and consumer goods and services, is significant, when looking at economic activity. With that, in what is turning out to be a spectacular own goal, the Government’s ill fated ‘tourist tax’ on retail (not allowing VAT rebates on shopping) is starting to be felt amongst retailers.
