Human Times

UK Edition

23rd October 2026

THE HOT STORY

Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs

Barclays plans to cut around 5,000 jobs, equivalent to about 5% of its global workforce, as part of a modernisation and cost-cutting programme that includes expanding its use of AI. Around 1,000 roles have already been eliminated, with a further 4,000 cuts expected by the end of the year. Most reductions will occur in its UK retail bank and support functions, with some roles affected in India. Barclays said AI was an increasingly important part of its technology strategy, but noted that the cuts were not all directly related to increased use of the technology. Chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan said AI is "the icing on the cake not the cake."

BBC News

The Times

REMUNERATION

Average salary breaks £40k barrier

Average full-time salaries in Britain have surpassed £40,000 for the first time, reaching £40,911 in the year to April 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Median annual pay rose 4.5% year-on-year, while average full-time weekly earnings increased 5.8% to £811.20. However, after inflation, full-time pay rose by just 2.7%. Frozen income tax thresholds are increasing the tax burden on workers as wages rise, with the number of income taxpayers estimated to have risen from 33m in 2021/22 to 39.8m in 2025/26. The ONS data shows that the gender pay gap among full-time employees narrowed from 7.2% to 6.8%, with average annual pay standing at £43,934 for men and £37,471 for women. Managers recorded the fastest weekly pay growth, at 6.7%, while factory workers saw the slowest increase, at 4.1%.

City AM

Daily Mail

WORKFORCE

White working-class boys most likely to be Neet

White working-class children are the most likely to leave secondary school without entering further education, employment or apprenticeships, with more than one in five disadvantaged boys and nearly one in five girls lacking a sustained destination in 2024/25. Analysis of Department for Education figures by charity Nacro found the rate for white working-class boys was 21.3%, more than double that for black boys (10.2%), while the rate for white working-class girls was 18.6%, almost three times that for black and Asian girls. Overall, 55,065 young people failed to sustain a destination for at least six months after Year 11, as the number of Neet approaches one million. Nacro has called for targeted support, including supported internships, pre-apprenticeships, and tailored post-16 provision for disadvantaged pupils. Education secretary Lucy Powell pledged to improve vocational qualifications and strengthen links between education and employment.

The Times

The Daily Telegraph

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

NatWest launches push to get young into jobs

NatWest has launched a programme to connect over 10,000 young people with career opportunities, work experience, and training over the next two years. The FTSE 100 bank will pilot its "youth offer" in Greater Manchester and the East Midlands, leveraging its ties with over 55,000 businesses. Paul Thwaite, chief executive of NatWest, said: "Opportunities shouldn't depend on where you live, and that's why we want to use our national presence along with our longstanding business relationships to make it easier for young people to see and access more opportunities closer to home. Through our new youth offer, we want to work with partners across the UK to help young people build the skills, experience and connections they need to take their first step into the world of work."

The Times

RETENTION

Teachers could be allowed four-day weeks

Education secretary Lucy Powell has asked the School Teachers’ Review Body to consider allowing full-time teachers in council-run schools to work their contracted hours over fewer days, potentially enabling four-day weeks. The proposal aims to improve staff wellbeing, recruitment, and retention: House of Commons research shows that 10%–15% of newly qualified teachers leave the state sector in their first year. However, the plans would not give teachers an automatic right to flexible working or change the requirement for schools to provide lessons five days a week. Teachers would remain subject to the 195-day framework and the 1,265-hour limit on directed time.

STRATEGY

Deloitte to create 100 new jobs

Deloitte plans to create up to 100 new jobs in the North of England by 2030 with the launch of a specialised regional deals unit. The initiative aims to enhance its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) capabilities in Manchester and Leeds. The new unit will double Deloitte's existing M&A workforce in the region, supporting complex transactions with specialised services in HR, finance, and technology. Deloitte said the move is part of its broader UK places strategy, which includes plans to expand its advisory group, strategy, risk and transactions advisory outside London.

City AM

TECHNOLOGY

Lawyers responsible for AI, Law Society warns

The Law Society of England and Wales has issued guidance saying that solicitors are responsible for any errors made by AI chatbots and could face "serious sanctions" over any AI-related issues. New guidance says lawyers remain professionally responsible for AI-generated legal advice and must verify AI outputs, protect client confidentiality, and report potential data breaches. Firms must also explain AI-related charges transparently and cannot bill clients for time saved through automation, although checking and revising AI-generated work can be charged.

The Daily Telegraph

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Roche bets on pill to thwart breast cancer

Bloomberg reports on how Roche is investing in giredestrant, an experimental pill which is being developed in-house for women by women to prevent breast cancer from growing or returning without the deleterious side effects of older treatments. German mother-of-three Ulrike Isselhard credits the treatment for turning her life around - she's now working full-time again - after energy- and optimism-sapping breast-removal surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy. Giredestrant has its roots in Roche's investment and eventual $47bn buyout of California’s Genentech, which began in 1990 and completed in 2009. Gina Wang, Sandra Milan and Ciara Metcalfe formed the core team behind giredestrant.

Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

China's jobless fake work routines

Reuters reports on the many jobless Chinese who are hiding their ‌employment status from family and relatives. The Instagram-like RedNote app, X-like Weibo and Douyin, China's TikTok analogue, are host to much-viewed posts advising unemployed people on where to spend the day, how to avoid relatives' questions about work, and chronicling the experiences of these phantom-employees. Diana Fu, an associate professor of Chinese politics at Cornell University, says pretend-work potentially defuses collective discontent. "Pretend-workers are helping the Chinese government to stave off the hard choice between leaping ahead in automation and protecting job security, which is so essential to the social contract," she said.

Reuters

US labour market deep freeze hits college-educated workers hard

The Wall Street Journal's Lindsay Ellis reports on the deep freeze that has paralysed the US labour market in recent years. She profiles 30-year-old Salt Lake City native Jack Weis, who has been living in his parents’ basement while looking for work in what economists refer to as a low-hire, low-fire environment. He has applied to more than 2,300 jobs since he graduated from Princeton in 2024 with his Ph.D. in chemical engineering. Weis and many other job candidates who have spoken with the author have described interviews that happened in the absence of humans: applicants recorded themselves responding to questions posed digitally on a call. In a survey, more than 60% of US job seekers said they had been interviewed by such technology in the last year.

Wall Street Journal

Global fashion brands face scrutiny over worker safety in Pakistan

Pakistan’s garment industry is facing growing concerns over dangerous working conditions as climate change intensifies extreme heat in factories supplying international brands, including Zara and Mango. Workers in Karachi have reported fainting, dehydration, respiratory problems, and lost wages due to inadequate ventilation, limited breaks, and insufficient cooling measures. An Associated Press investigation found that factories frequently lacked temperature monitoring and effective heat protection protocols, despite corporate commitments to worker safety. Inditex, Zara’s parent company, has pledged stronger supplier audits and training, while Mango has updated its supplier code to address extreme temperatures. However, labour rights advocates have criticised weak enforcement, and heat safety protocols under the International Accord for Health and Safety remain under review. Experts have urged manufacturers to introduce improved ventilation, reliable drinking water, and regular rest breaks to protect workers as temperatures continue to rise.

US News and World Report

Paris luxury retailers brace for further unrest

Luxury retailers across Paris have suffered significant damage and disruption following widespread rioting, with stores operated by Burberry, Dior, Guerlain, and Hermès among those targeted by looters. Several boutiques remain closed, while major luxury brands including Louis Vuitton have strengthened security ahead of further planned protests. Carrefour has warned that damage to approximately 50 stores, alongside weaker consumer confidence and higher security costs, could reduce profitability by up to €200m, while lingerie retailer Etam has reported €1m in lost sales and a further €500,000 in stolen goods and property damage. The unrest has also prompted cancellations at luxury hotels, raising concerns over tourism spending and demand for high-end goods ahead of the Christmas shopping season.

Bloomberg

OTHER

M&S food director becomes social media sensation

Marks & Spencer food development director Kathryn Turner has become a social media star. Her behind-the-scenes videos have amassed about 50m views in six months. Gillian Brooks, associate professor of marketing at King's College London, said Turner's appeal "lies in the sense that she offers an insider's perspective on M&S that feels human, relatable and unscripted."

The Times

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