Human Times
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UK Edition
9th September 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Graduate job market faces tough times

Nearly half a million graduates entered the workforce this summer carrying average student debt of £47,730, while graduate vacancies are forecast to fall 7% in 2026. Employers now receive about 140 applications per graduate job, compared with 38 two decades ago, and increasingly use online tests and one-way virtual interviews to manage demand. Graduates describe the process as lengthy, impersonal and uncertain, with 35% believing AI is damaging their career prospects. However, employers including Accenture argue AI could instead shift junior roles towards higher-value work. Raena Connelly, Accenture’s UK and Ireland head of HR, said: “We see AI changing early careers rather than diminishing them.” Universities are also expanding placements, internships and careers support as students increasingly view degrees as routes to employment. Employers continue to emphasise critical thinking, judgment, communication and other human skills, while economic growth remains central to improving graduate opportunities.
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HR & LEADERSHIP

Is your retention data lying to you?

Employee intent to stay in EMEA has dropped from 66% to 62% in a year, and voluntary turnover now costs the global economy $2.9 trillion annually. Most organisations treat this as a culture problem or a headcount problem but they're rarely looking in the right place. BAFTA-winning writer Adam Kay spent years inside a system that couldn't see its own people clearly, and he's joining Rippling's Wendy Harris and Eric Greenwood to make the case that your people aren't the problem. Your blind spots are. Join the free 45-minute session to find out what AI means for the headcount you can't yet see.

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WORKFORCE

Fit notes risk limiting young workers

Government adviser Alan Milburn has criticised the GP fit note system, arguing that brief consultations can push young people with conditions such as ADHD into long-term welfare dependency rather than employment. Nearly one million fit notes for mental health issues were issued last year, while UK youth inactivity stands at 13.6%, compared with under 5% in the Netherlands. Milburn called the system “bloody insane” and warned that receiving a diagnosis should not automatically imply someone cannot work. Sir Gareth Southgate similarly cautioned against labels that can restrict young people’s expectations. Milburn also criticised apprenticeships, noting youth placements have fallen 35% in nine years, while Southgate highlighted the value of workplace mentoring and warned that higher employment costs may discourage businesses from hiring younger workers.

Channel 4 braces for massive job cuts

Channel 4 plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 25%, affecting 300 to 325 roles. The decision, expected to be confirmed by new CEO Priya Dogra, marks the broadcaster's largest redundancy round to date. The cuts come as Channel 4 struggles with declining ad revenues and a £10m deficit last year, its third consecutive year of losses.

Bet365 to axe hundreds of jobs

Bet365, owned by billionaire Denise Coates, plans to cut up to 300 jobs at its Stoke-on-Trent headquarters due to increased taxes on the gambling industry. The cuts represent about 3% of its workforce, which totals around 5,500. An additional 40 roles will be affected in Gibraltar and Malta. The tax on online casinos has risen from 21% to 40%, while sports betting levies are set to increase from 15% to 25% by 2027.
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HIRING

John Lewis to hire 10,400 for Christmas

The John Lewis Partnership plans to create 10,400 seasonal roles across the UK for the festive season. Of these, 6,000 positions will be at Waitrose, 2,600 at John Lewis shops, and 1,800 in distribution centres. The recruitment aims to support young people: around 75% of previous seasonal hires have been under 25. Helen Webb, chief people officer, said: "Our seasonal roles are more than just a job for the festive period; for many, they are a catalyst for building confidence and kickstarting a long-term career." Pay starts at £13 an hour outside London, rising after 30 days.
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REMOTE WORKING

Sir Gareth warns against remote work

Sir Gareth Southgate, former England football manager, expressed concerns about remote work's impact on young people. He stated that working from home limits opportunities for mentorship and support from colleagues, which are crucial for personal and professional development. Southgate compared this to his own experiences in football, where he benefited from daily coaching and support. He highlighted a report indicating that remote work has contributed to rising unemployment among university graduates, making it harder to train and hire inexperienced individuals. Southgate advocates for more in-office support for youth.
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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

England’s teens outperform peers in maths, reading and science

England's secondary school pupils have improved their international rankings in maths, reading, and science, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. The average score for maths was 492, reading 497, and science 516, all above OECD averages. However, a gender gap emerged in science, with boys outperforming girls by 13 points. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said the results are indicative of excellent work in schools. England’s performance moved the UK into the top 10 international rankings; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland recorded results slightly lower than in previous years.
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ECONOMY

UK retail sales growth slows as heatwave boost fades

UK retail sales growth slowed to 0.7% year-on-year in August, down from 3.1% in August 2025 and below the 12-month average of 1.6%, as the boost from record summer temperatures faded and rising household bills prompted consumers to rein in spending. British Retail Consortium data showed food sales rose 2.6%, helping support overall growth, while non-food sales fell 0.8% as shoppers cut back on discretionary big-ticket purchases including furniture and household appliances. Retailers are now calling on the government to reduce costs through changes to business rates, energy costs and employer national insurance contributions in next month’s Budget.
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CORPORATE

Government plans corporate reporting overhaul

The government is consulting on a major overhaul of corporate reporting aimed at cutting regulation and supporting economic growth. Proposals include scrapping annual shareholder votes on directors’ pay, allowing virtual-only AGMs with shareholder consent, and giving some medium-sized companies an audit exemption. Listed companies could also face fewer disclosure requirements, including removing annual reporting of CEO-to-employee pay ratios, clawback policies and responses to shareholder dissent. Strategic reporting would be streamlined, with some environmental, social, human rights and anti-corruption disclosures potentially removed. Business groups including the Confederation of British Industry and Federation of Small Businesses have broadly welcomed the plans as a way to reduce costs and bureaucracy, but campaigners warn that virtual-only meetings could weaken shareholder scrutiny and corporate accountability.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

AI-discovered drug 'reverses aging markers'

Drug discovery startup Insilico Medicine has said its experimental lung disease drug rentosertib, which has been developed using AI, showed promise in reversing biological signs of aging. In a mid-stage study, the drug helped reduce biological age as measured by six different aging clocks examining chemical changes in the body, according to an analysis published in Nature Biotechnology. “If your biological age is lower, you are likely to die later,” observed Insilico Medicine’s CEO Alex Zhavoronkov.
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INTERNATIONAL

Eiffel Tower employees strike after female workers' removal

The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after staff went on strike over female workers being removed for the visit of a Hindu religious group. A delegation of around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group visited the Paris landmark on Saturday. "During the visit of this delegation, women were asked to leave their places of work in order to place men there," staff union representative Diane Davoine told Reuters. She said management had since apologised to workers over the incident. "So that absolutely does not go down well with the employees, with women obviously, who are all humiliated by what happened, by the way some were treated," Davoine said. Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), the company that operates the monument, confirmed the delegation had asked the visit be organised to limit "interactions with women"; it has since said that "these conditions should not have been accepted."

Amazon cargo crash investigation focuses on aircraft speed and runway safeguards

US aviation investigators are examining the speed, weather conditions and airport safeguards involved in an Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami International Airport that killed five people on the ground and injured five others. The 21 Air-operated Boeing 767 travelled around 1,300 feet beyond the paved runway, striking a van carrying seven people and an SUV. Publicly available data indicated the aircraft was travelling at 112 knots, or about 129mph, as it left the usable runway. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate why the pilots did not perform a go-around, alongside the aircraft’s mechanical systems, crew experience and air-traffic control, and will assess whether the absence of an Engineering Materials Arresting System at the end of the runway contributed to the severity of the accident.

EU faces 300,000 factory job cuts, industry group warns

Industry trade body Eurometal has said the European industrial sector could lose around 300,000 jobs by the end of the year if the EU doesn't curb the replacement of European suppliers by Chinese manufacturers. The group warned that China is moving deeper into European supply chains by selling finished components, threatening production, investment, jobs, and industrial know-how. Eurometal argues that European producers face carbon costs and steel import tariffs that Chinese components often avoid. Alexander Julius, the president of Eurometal, told the Guardian: “China has made no secret of what it is doing. It is in their five-year plan . . . China doesn’t want to be a raw material supplier, it wants to be a finished product supply. They want to be in key product supply chains because they know that once they control the supply chain, they own the complete value chain.”

Coles to end Palantir partnership following data privacy campaign

Australian supermarket Coles has agreed to end its partnership with U.S. data analytics company Palantir after three years, with the contract not extending beyond 2027 and a transition plan now under way, although the final timing has yet to be determined. The grocer signed the agreement in 2024, giving Palantir’s software access to more than 10bn rows of operational data covering its stores, shifts and 120,000 employees, which Coles says has been used for rostering, store operations and supply-chain planning within its own controlled environment. Coles has rejected claims that the partnership involved surveillance, saying Palantir has had no involvement in CCTV, facial recognition or crime prevention, while Palantir says its technology has delivered operational benefits for the retailer.
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OTHER

Pupils with SEND plans in England likely to double to one in 10

Schools and councils in England are facing a sharp rise in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), with some local authorities forecasting that as many as one in 10 school-age children could have an EHCP by 2029, compared with around one in 20 in 2025. Applications have surged since the government announced plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Schools have suggested that families are seeking EHCPs before eligibility rules are tightened. Some councils are forecasting increases of 40%–58% over the coming years. The growth is putting further pressure on school and council budgets, particularly high-needs funding, with councils warning that SEND deficits could quickly build up again despite government plans to write off 90% of existing debts. The government wants to shift towards earlier intervention and greater support within mainstream schools, with EHCPs from 2030 intended primarily for children with the most complex needs.
 
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