Economy - Page 2 of 25 - Business Biscuit

Swindon is set to gain a bigger voice over transport, housing, skills and investment after the Government confirmed the Thames Valley will move forward with plans for a new mayoral strategic authority.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Wednesday October 28 2026

Swindon overcomes snobbery to help Thames Valley reach devolution milestone

Swindon is set to gain a bigger voice over transport, housing, skills, and investment after the Government confirmed the Thames Valley will move forward with plans for a new mayoral strategic authority. Chancellor John Healey announced in his Autumn […]

John Healey’s first Budget was pitched as “breathing space” for a strained economy: targeted help for households and high streets, paired with incentives for entrepreneurs and growth sectors, while avoiding a headline increase in the main corporation tax rate.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Wednesday October 28 2026

Healey’s first Budget: Business Biscuit partners give their reaction

John Healey’s first Budget was pitched as “breathing space” for a strained economy: targeted help for households and high streets, paired with incentives for entrepreneurs and growth sectors, while avoiding a headline increase in the main corporation tax rate. […]

Swindon-headquartered Nationwide Building Society is to cut a further 275 jobs as it continues integrating Virgin Money following its £2.9bn takeover.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Monday October 26 2026

Nationwide to cut 275 more jobs as Swindon-based lender integrates Virgin Money

Swindon-headquartered Nationwide Building Society is to cut a further 275 jobs as it continues integrating Virgin Money following its £2.9bn takeover. The latest reductions will fall across the society’s retail division, including mortgage roles, as well as HR, the […]

Corporate insolvencies fell by 4.6 per cent in September compared with a year earlier, but businesses are being warned that mounting costs and pressure from creditors could threaten their survival this winter.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Tuesday October 20 2026

Corporate insolvencies fall but businesses face tough winter

Corporate insolvencies fell by 4.6 per cent in September compared with a year earlier, but businesses are being warned that mounting costs and pressure from creditors could threaten their survival this winter. There were 1,882 corporate insolvencies during the […]

South West businesses have recorded a third consecutive month of growth, with output, new work and employment all expanding despite mounting cost pressures

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Monday October 19 2026

South West businesses keep growing despite rising costs

South West businesses have recorded a third consecutive month of growth, with output, new work and employment all expanding despite mounting cost pressures. The latest NatWest South West Growth Tracker shows the region’s headline Business Activity Index stood at […]

Hiring across the South of England softened in September, with permanent staff appointments falling for a third-and-a-half consecutive year and temporary billings growth slowing to a six-month low, according to the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs: South of England, compiled by S&P Global.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Wednesday October 14 2026

South of England hiring cools as permanent placements fall again

Hiring across the South of England softened in September, with permanent staff appointments falling for a third-and-a-half consecutive year and temporary billings growth slowing to a six-month low, according to the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs: […]

Hundreds of business leaders, entrepreneurs and public-sector figures from across Wiltshire gathered in Trowbridge for the inaugural West Wiltshire Business Expo - an event organisers say has been hailed a “roaring success”.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Monday October 12 2026

Trowbridge Expo hailed a success as Wiltshire firms pitch to former BBC Dragon

Hundreds of business leaders, entrepreneurs and public-sector figures from across Wiltshire gathered in Trowbridge for the inaugural West Wiltshire Business Expo – an event organisers say has been hailed a “roaring success”. Held at The Civic on Thursday, October […]

Business confidence in the South West fell 30 points during September to 25 per cent, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Wednesday September 30 2026

South West businesses boosted by strong demand despite confidence fall

Business confidence in the South West fell 30 points during September to 25 per cent, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds. Companies in the South West also reported lower confidence in their own trading outlook month-on-month, down […]

South West business owners remain overwhelmingly confident about their prospects despite concerns about potential tax rises, rising costs and ongoing economic uncertainty, according to new research from S&W.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Wednesday September 30 2026

Business owners remain confident on growth despite economic uncertainty

South West business owners remain overwhelmingly confident about their prospects despite concerns about potential tax rises, rising costs and ongoing economic uncertainty, according to new research from S&W. The latest Business Owners Sentiment Survey from the accountancy, tax, and […]

Chancellor John Healey has pledged to create or support 130,000 new jobs across the UK by 2030, using the National Wealth Fund to crowd in private investment in AI, defence, advanced manufacturing and clean energy - in a move backed by West leaders.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Monday September 28 2026

West welcomes chancellor’s 130,000 jobs pledge

Chancellor John Healey has pledged to create or support 130,000 new jobs across the UK by 2030, using the National Wealth Fund to crowd in private investment in AI, defence, advanced manufacturing and clean energy – in a move […]

Derelict high street buildings could be transformed into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs, to bring people back into town centres as part of a £210 million package announced today (Friday, September 25).

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Friday September 25 2026

Boarded-up high streets to be brought back to life with £210 million boost

Derelict high street buildings could be transformed into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs, to bring people back into town centres as part of a £210 million package announced today (Friday, September 25). People are proud of where they […]

South West businesses are confident about their region’s economic growth prospects

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Tuesday September 22 2026

South West businesses among the most optimistic about their region’s future growth – Lloyds

South West businesses are confident about their region’s economic growth prospects, but just 28 per cent believe their region’s growth will outperform the UK economy in the next year, according to new findings from the Lloyds Business Barometer. Eight […]

Businesses in Swindon could be made to clean up their premises, with the local council threatening to use legal powers to compel them.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Thursday September 17 2026

Council says it will use legal powers to force businesses to clean up premises

Businesses in Swindon could be made to clean up their premises, with the local council threatening to use legal powers to compel them. Swindon’s Big Town Centre Clean-Up was a 10‑day blitz in which more than 250 volunteers cleared […]

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Thursday September 17 2026

Temp billings growth accelerates to joint-quickest in over three years

Temporary hiring in the South West accelerated sharply in August, offering fresh signs that the region’s labour market may be beginning to stabilise despite continued weakness in permanent recruitment. Billings from the employment of short-term staff rose at the […]

Business activity in the South West is showing tentative signs of improvement, but remains patchy as consumer weakness and a slumping property market offset gains in exports and some business services, according to the Bank of England’s latest Regional Agents’ summary.

Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
Monday September 14 2026

SW business activity shows signs of improvement – Bank of England

Business activity in the South West is showing tentative signs of improvement, but remains patchy as consumer weakness and a slumping property market offset gains in exports and some business services, according to the Bank of England’s latest Regional […]