New furlough scheme extended

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New furlough scheme

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak announced that he’s beefing up the Job Support Scheme (JSS) to help businesses in tier 2 and 3 areas. It’ll subsidise wages for pubs, restaurants, and other companies which have to close, or are less busy, because of the restrictions. How will it work? It’s complicated, but there’s a good explanation here.

Japan trade deal

The UK has struck a free trade deal with Japan, which will exempt us from tariffs on 99% of our exports there. The government says the agreement will boost trade by £15 billion. Aside from the temporary agreement signed earlier this week with Norway, it’s the first proper trade deal we’ve secured as part of post-Brexit planning.

Retail stays strong

Shoppers were out in force in September, spending on groceries, DIY stuff, and gardening supplies. Overall, retail sales were 1.5% higher than in August, making it the fifth month of growth in a row. Fuel is the only thing we’re buying less of, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Finger-lickin’ Kickstart

KFC is hiring 5,400 new staff between now and Christmas, with many of the jobs reserved for 16-24 year olds as part of the Kickstart scheme. The fried chicken chain has 965 outlets across the UK and Ireland, and plans to add to its workforce across the two countries.