More than a quarter of Britons say they fear losing jobs to AI in next five years
More than a quarter (27%) of UK workers are worried their jobs could disappear in the next five years as a result of AI, according to a survey of thousands of employees,Two-thirds (66%) of UK employers reported having invested in AI in the past 12 months, according to the international recruitment company Randstad’s annual review of the world of work, while more than half (56%) of workers said more companies were encouraging the use of AI tools in the workplace,This was leading to “mismatched AI expectations” between the views of employees and their employers over the impact of AI on jobs, according to Randstad’s poll of 27,000 workers and 1,225 organisations across 35 countries,Just under half (45%) of UK office workers surveyed believed AI would benefit companies more than employees,Younger workers, particularly those belonging to gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – were the most concerned about the impact of AI and their ability to adapt, while baby boomers – born in the postwar years between 1946 and 1964 and nearing the end of their careers – showed greater self-assurance.
Higher levels of concern expressed by young people entering the workforce could stem from the decision of many business leaders, highlighted by separate research, to invest in AI to plug skills gaps through automation instead of training up new hires.This is adding to the challenges facing younger workers at a time when the labour market is cooling.Increased use of AI and automation in businesses is increasingly replacing “low-complexity, transactional roles”, the survey showed, which could help to address labour shortages in certain industries through boosting productivity.About half (55%) of UK workers surveyed said AI had made a positive impact on their productivity, a view echoed by employers.“AI is not a rival to labour; it should be seen as key to augmenting tasks and highlighting the importance of roles that only people can do,” said Sander van ‘t Noordende, the chief executive of Randstad.
“We must close the ‘AI reality gap’.While businesses race to embrace a new way of working, our data shows that one in five talent believe AI will have a limited impact on their tasks and nearly half perceive it as more beneficial to the company than themselves.This leaves them vulnerable in both their careers and the value they can add to organisations.”The pace of adoption of AI in the workplace is also having an impact on workers around the world.Four in five workers believe AI will affect their daily work tasks, while the survey found that job vacancies requiring “AI agent” skills had risen by 1,587% over the past year.
Jamie Dimon, the boss of the US bank JP Morgan, told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week that governments and businesses would have to step in to help workers whose roles were displaced by the technology, or risk “civil unrest”.
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There is a way to file for divorce from Donald Trump and Europe needs to grab the opportunity.To the public it will look as if nothing has changed. But behind the scenes the EU and the UK could close the joint bank account and cut up the credit cards, or at least set in motion a form of financial separation that limits the power of a controlling former partner.It won’t be easy to walk away and it won’t be quick. But a degree of separation is necessary and, crucially, achievable
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The UK is expected to reduce the amount of foreign steel it allows in tariff-free, as the government looks to protect its domestic industry amid a global glut and a rise in protectionism.Ministers are considering changing the quota system that allows a quantity of the metal to be imported before imposing a 25% levy on anything above that level.Lower tariff-free quotas could be announced in April, for implementation from 1 July, according to three people with knowledge of discussions.The development comes amid a surfeit of steel driven by supplies from China, which is by far the world’s largest producer. Chinese steel exports hit yet another all-time high in December, while other producers such as Vietnam, Korea and Turkey are also trying to find customers
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Donald Trump has tried his usual tactics when it comes to getting the US Federal Reserve to lower interest rates: bully when persuasion doesn’t work, and then fire when bullying doesn’t work.In an unprecedented assault on the central bank, the president has called the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, “stupid” and threatened to fire him for not cutting interest rates as quickly as Trump would like. Most recently, the justice department instigated a criminal investigation against Powell for testimony he gave about renovations at the Fed’s headquarters. Even so, the Fed has not budged.Tactically, Trump’s assault on the Fed appears to be no different than his overhaul of the entire federal government
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Complaints about water companies in England and Wales to an independent monitor surged by more than 50% last year, as customers bristled at steep bill increases.More than 16,000 complaints were lodged in 2025 with the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), a government-sponsored body that represents customers’ interests.That was up from 10,600 in 2024, with the flow of objections well above the level of the prior year in every month from March onwards.Water companies have faced huge public anger in recent years over the amount of sewage flowing into Britain’s rivers and seas. However, the extent of the outrage increased sharply last year when water companies were allowed to increase bills to pay for upgrades after decades of underinvestment
Coca-Cola sues Vue after cinema chain switches to Pepsi
Coca-Cola is taking legal action against Vue after the cinema chain switched to its arch-rival PepsiCo to supply soft drinks in Europe.Vue, which operates more than 90 cinemas across the UK and Ireland, put the contract up for tender last year.The largest privately owned cinema operator in Europe, with 222 sites in eight countries, selected PepsiCo as its exclusive supplier in March last year until at least 2030.The deal brought an end to a relationship between Vue and Coca-Cola that had lasted for almost 25 years.Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Great Britain (CCEP) took legal action against Vue Entertainment on Thursday to reclaim alleged unpaid debts outstanding when the contract was terminated
Asbestos found in children’s play sand sold in UK
Bottles of children’s play sand have been withdrawn from shelves by the craft retailer Hobbycraft after a parent discovered they were contaminated with asbestos.The parent, who did not wish to be named, raised the alarm after her children played with the sand at a party.She sent samples off to a testing lab, which found traces of asbestos fibres in the bottles of yellow, green and pink sand sold in Hobbycraft’s Giant Box of Craft arts kit.Asbestos can cause cancer in later life if inhaled, although the risk to children who played with the sand is thought to be low.The discovery came two months after asbestos traces found in similar play sand products in Australia prompted a government recall and the closure of schools and nurseries across the country and in New Zealand
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