Gospodarka

The UK is “sleepwalking into a quiet epidemic” of joblessness with millions of people out of work and on benefits, the boss of the nation’s biggest supermarket chain has warned. Ashwin Prasad, who runs the UK arm of Tesco, said he believed far fewer people were in work than should be and that taxpayers were spending “an ever increasing proportion of our national income on out-of-work benefits”.more

In February 2026, several stores from popular chains including Poundland, River Island, and GAME will close amid restructuring and financial difficulties.more

UK exports of farm products to the EU have fallen by 37.4% since 2019, highlighting trade barriers caused by Brexit.more

2025 was a record year for PKP Intercity. 89.2 million people travelled on long-distance trains, which is the best result to date. In addition, the carrier signed a historic agreement with Alstom Polska for the purchase of 42 double-decker electric multiple units, which will be manufactured in Chorzów and Nadarzyn. more

Although Poland's GDP growth rate is among the highest in Europe, it may slow down significantly within a few years, writes ‘Puls Biznesu’ today. The newspaper cites IMF data showing that immigration will not be able to compensate for the decline in the working-age population.more

Yesterday, the United Kingdom announced that it had signed an agreement with the United States on cooperation in the field of critical materials, with the aim of increasing investment in their supply chains.more

The UK economy would be 3.6% smaller by 2040 if net migration fell to zero, forcing the government to raise taxes to combat a much bigger budget deficit, a thinktank has predicted.more

The number of unemployed people in Germany rose to over 3 million in January, the highest since January 2014, according to data published on Friday by the Federal Employment Agency. The unemployment rate stood at 6.6 per cent.more

Around six million low-income households will continue to receive £150 off their winter energy bills after the government confirmed its Warm Home Discount will remain for five more years.more

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, currently visiting China, emphasised today that ignoring Beijing would be ‘reckless’ and not in the UK's interests. At the same time, he assured that London's relations with Washington remain close, despite US President Donald Trump's critical comments on cooperation with China.more

A reduction in customs duties on Scotch whisky imported from the United Kingdom from 10% to 5% and a declaration of readiness to increase imports of British goods and services – these are the main outcomes of yesterday's talks between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Beijing.more

The UK’s worst-hit areas for living standards have been revealed as the government is urged to do more to boost growth across every region. Sir Keir Starmer’s renewed focus on the cost of living in the new year is “understandable”, research group Centre for Cities says, but must be underpinned by stronger economic growth.more

Water bills will rise by £2.70 a month on average from April, a year on from hefty increases for households in many parts of the country. The average annual bill in England and Wales will increase by £33 to £639, prompting calls for a "stronger safety net" for those unable to pay.more

The UK’s poorest families are getting poorer, with record numbers of people classed as in “very deep poverty” – meaning their annual household incomes fail to cover the cost of food, energy bills and clothing, according to analysis.more

Alcohol prices in Poland are not keeping pace with wage growth, which means that alcohol is becoming more affordable. According to the World Health Organisation, this is one of the factors that may contribute to higher alcohol consumption.more

Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost in London as businesses reel from Rachel Reeves’ economic plan and other blows, official figures reveal. They show 30,000 construction jobs in the capital disappeared in the first nine months of last year after work on building sites ground to a halt in some boroughs.more

The UK inflation rate rises to 3.4% in the year to December. Rising prices were driven partly by higher tobacco prices and airfares, the Office for National Statistics says.more

Wage growth in the UK eased to 4.5% between September and November, official figures suggest, following a sharp slowdown in private sector pay increases. The pace of pay growth for those employed by private businesses slowed to the lowest rate in five years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).more

Rent fell for the first time on record last year, new data has revealed, as the number of first-time buyers surged and less young people stay living with their parents. The cost of newly-agreed rents dipped by 0.7 per cent across the UK in 2025, according to estate agency Hamptons. It is the first rent fall over a calendar year since the agency began recording the data in 2011.more

During yesterday's talks with European leaders and US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his position on the 10 per cent tariffs announced by the United States on eight European countries that supported Greenland in the face of Trump's claims to the Danish island.more

On Saturday, the European Union signed a trade agreement with Mercosur in Asunción. The agreement will facilitate the flow of industrial and agricultural products between the EU and the South American bloc.more

The outflow of workers from Central and Eastern Europe, including Poles, is a serious challenge for the Norwegian economy, which is intensifying with the improving economic situation in their countries, admitted Ine Eriksen Soereide, former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs.more

UK unemployment levels hit the highest levels since Covid at the end of last year – but it could get even worse in 2026, experts have warned. In the three months to October, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed unemployment hit 5.1 per cent – up from 4.3 per cent a year earlier – highlighting the rise of joblessness across the year.more

The City of Westminster is shaping up to have a bumper 2026. Home to the West End, Oxford Street and Soho - to name a few famous places in the vibrant borough - Westminster has an ever-changing landscape of entertainment, shops and buildings.more

Many households’ energy bills are to rise on Thursday, just as a swathe of cold health alerts have been issued for large areas of the UK. The 0.2% increase to Ofgem’s energy price cap will equate to a rise of about 28p a month for the average household in England, Wales and Scotland remaining on a standard variable tariff.more