Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 1.0% in December 2022, following a fall of 0.5% in November (revised from a fall of 0.4%). Sales volumes were 1.7% below their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) February levels.
Over the past month or two, many northern hemisphere countries including the US and the UK have seen a large wave of respiratory viral infections. These include RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), flu and COVID in all ages, as well as bacterial infections such as strep A in children.
The Office for National Statistics has reported retail sales figures in Great Britain for December: Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 1% in December 2022 following a fall of 0.5% in November. Total non-food stores sales volumes (department, clothing, household and other non-food stores) fell by 2.1% over the month Online spending values fell by 2.9%.
The cost of electricity rose sixfold between January 2021 and November 2022 as the impact of the COVID pandemic combined with Russia's invasion of Ukraine to push up wholesale energy prices. Without government intervention, household electricity costs could have grown sixfold too.
The new Netflix murder mystery film Glass Onion is a cautionary tale - but not about influencers, tech bros or ironic architecture, as some have suggested. But Glass Onion (along with HBO's Succession) is actually a warning about the potential perils of going into business with your friends or family.
More than 1.4 million households in the UK are facing the prospect of interest rate rises when they renew their fixed rate mortgages in 2023. While interest rates have been increasing since the start of 2022, most fixed rate borrowers have been insulated from those increases, because most were fixed at interest rates below 2% and are still within their fixed-rate period.
Amazon workers will stage the first ever strike in the UK on Wednesday [25 January 2023]. Where: BHX4 Amazon Coventry.
Responding to the latest ONS Retail Sales Index figures, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, "Volumes fell for the ninth consecutive month as the cost of living squeeze caused consumers to rein in December spending. The high cost of household bills, particularly for energy, and rising food inflation, made for a difficult Christmas backdrop with falling consumer confidence.
As the home delivery expert ParcelHero predicted, December 2022 was the Austerity Christmas. Brits slashed spending as inflation and household bills rose.
Regeneration projects in disadvantaged and rural communities across Scotland will receive a share of almost £27 million funding. The investment will support schemes tackling child poverty and addressing issues like addiction and suicide prevention, while creating jobs and growing local economies.
The new Highland and Islands divisional commander will take up post having been sworn in as a Police Scotland officer. Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone welcomed and thanked Chief Superintendent Rob Shepherd during a ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan, on Monday, 16 January 2023, overseen by Justice of the Peace Gillian Thomson.
Maps of the Council's gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting. The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time.
Throughout much of recorded human history, China has boasted the largest population in the world - and until recently, by some margin. So news that the Chinese population is now in decline, and will sometime later this year be surpassed by that of India, is big news even if long predicted.
Fresh NHS pay talks involving UNISON negotiators and the Scottish government are due to take place later today (Thursday 19 January 2023) concerning wages for the financial year beginning in April, says the union. The current year's pay deal (covering 2022/23), which UNISON members voted to accept in December, established that talks for the coming financial year would commence as soon as possible.
A record 183,025 studied at Scottish universities in 2021-22. A record number of Scottish domiciled students have enrolled at the country's universities.
A cooling labour market, with vacancies falling and youth unemployment rising to 9.8 per cent, suggest that further job losses could soon be on the way, the Resolution Foundation said in response to the latest ONS labour market statistics. The UK labour market was tight in late 2022, prompting nominal private sector growth to grow at its fastest rate outside of the pandemic (7.2 per cent) since records began in 2001.
More than 100 projects awarded share of £2.1 billion from Round 2 of government's flagship Levelling Up Fund to create jobs and boost the economy. 10 projects are in Scotland.
Two stories featuring on BBC News Scotland show that voluntary groups like businesses are feeling the cost of living pain. Caithness voluntary groups and charities that have staff and premises have seen their costs rise.
Deaths involving COVID-19 Analysis for December 2022 and for week 2 of 2023. As at 15 January 2023, 16,568 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).
The Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, has welcomed the announcement that three Highland projects have been successful in applying for funding support under the latest round of funding from the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF). Gro For You Community Innovation Campus in Tain has been awarded £450,000 to establish a five-acre campus to offer training in sustainable food production, promote zero waste and deliver courses focused on tackling food poverty and poor mental health.
