Healthcare company, B Braun UK, has raised healthcare coverage across its 1,400-strong workforce from 44% to 97%, effective from 1st April, a transformation driven by direct employee feedback and delivered in partnership with workplace wellbeing specialists Howden.

Accountancy and professional services firm DJH has strengthened its tax offering with the acquisition of specialist tax practice Forbes Dawson. The fast-growing firm, which operates across Yorkshire, the North West, the Midlands, and the South East, has welcomed Forbes Dawson into the group as part of its latest expansion plans.

A group of residential property sales and lettings agents from four major northern cities have joined forces and created a new network to collaborate, share best practice and provide a seamless service for landlords with property portfolios across multiple locations.

Manchester-based social impact investor Resonance has secured a £1 million equity investment from the Nationwide Foundation to bring long-term empty properties back into use as affordable housing. The capital has been allocated to the Resonance Community Developers (RCD) Fund, which provides secured loans to community organisations to acquire and refurbish vacant properties.

While today’s labour market figures point to a stable and more positive picture than seen in recent months, in reality the landscape is shifting for UK employers. Although unemployment is holding at 5% and vacancies remaining at 3.9% - coupled with an increase in redundancies there is a clear lack of hiring confidence in the UK.

FTSE 100 on the back foot in early trades as crude prices ramp higher. Mining stocks lose ground as China data disappoints while energy giants rise as crude shoots higher again. The UK’s leadership crisis continues, with gilt investors the canaries in Labour’s coalmine. Both 10-year and 30-year gilts rise to fresh multi-decade highs. Anglo American shape shifts again, offloading its Australian steelmaking coal business.