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European Edition
10th August 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

UK employers revive hiring plans

The UK job market is showing signs of recovery, with permanent appointments stabilising in July after 45 months of decline, according to a study by KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). The permanent placements index reached the 50-point threshold after almost four years of contraction. Vacancies also improved, reaching their highest level since September 2024, while part-time hiring grew at its fastest pace since August 2023. Demand for staff fell at its slowest rate in 22 months and permanent staff pay increased at its fastest rate in six months. Callum Licence, head of advisory at KPMG, said: "With a new government, businesses will be looking for signs that new policies can translate into greater confidence to invest and hire." Maxine Bligh from REC said: "Rays of light are beginning to break through for the job market as employers revive hiring plans."
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CORPORATE

Call to tie Deutsche Bahn bonuses to targets

Steffen Bilger, Germany's new ⁠transport ⁠minister, has said he ⁠wants to tie bonus payments for Deutsche ​Bahn executives more directly to government targets. The national rail ‌operator faces mounting criticism over chronic delays ⁠and management ⁠pay. "It will have a concrete impact on bonus ​payments of Deutsche Bahn managers if targets set by the government are not met," Bilger told Bild am Sonntag. Sector experts ⁠say ​the rail operator's difficulties stem from decades of underinvestment ​in infrastructure, ⁠despite rising rail use.
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LEADERSHIP

Fifa warns against 'concerted effort' to undermine Infantino

Fifa has criticized what it calls a "concerted and ongoing effort" to "undermine" the organisation and its president Gianni Infantino. The statement followed a Daily Telegraph report in the UK which claimed Infantino's alleged lover was given a severance payment by Uefa after he had an affair while he was its general secretary. A Fifa spokesperson told the Telegraph that Infantino "strongly denies" the allegations and that they are "categorically untrue." Fifa has now itself hit out at "unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims," adding that "speculation and insinuation should not be presented as fact." Infantino has come under increasing pressure from Uefa and European football associations over his aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal.
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RISK

Rheinmetall boss refuses to be intimidated

Armin Papperger, the head of German defence contractor Rheinmetall, says he refuses to be intimidated amid alleged threats to his safety. He is under police protection due to alleged Russian murder plots: Rheinmetall supplies large quantities of weapons to Ukraine and is also establishing factories there. In comments to Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Papperger said "chickening out" is not an option. "These jobs must be done, and anyone that can't take the pressure doesn't belong in this job," he said. Germany's domestic intelligence services recently called on employees of defence contractors to be particularly vigilant in the face of the espionage and sabotage threat posed by Russian state agencies.
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WORKFORCE

Probation staff in UK threaten strike action

Around 8,000 UK probation staff represented by the National Association of Probation Officers could strike before the end of the year over working hours, raising safety concerns as the government’s revised early prison release scheme begins in October. The service is already short of about 1,500 officers and heavily reliant on overtime. Unions warn that increased workloads could cause cases to fall through the cracks and put victims at risk. Martin Jones, the Chief Inspector of Probation, said: "I can certainly see that [industrial action] as something that's very high risk, even if there were simply to be any work to rule."
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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

AI skills 'more valuable than MBA'

According to a PwC survey of over 1,000 financial service executives, 86% believe that AI skills training is more beneficial than an MBA for new hires. The survey highlights that 91% of executives are increasing compensation for employees with AI skills, and 58% are willing to pay a premium for expertise in this area. The findings raise questions about the return on investment for an MBA, which can exceed $250,000. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) notes that "the demand for AI-related skills grew faster than any other capability surveyed this year." As AI continues to reshape the job market, business schools are adapting by expanding AI course offerings. Despite concerns about job losses, many employers, including 35% in a ZipRecruiter survey, expect AI to increase employment in their companies over the next few years.
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INTERNATIONAL

Unlawfully sacked Qantas workers to share in A$40m payout

Qantas workers who were unlawfully sacked during the COVID-19 pandemic will receive a $40m payout, following a Federal Court ruling. Justice Michael Lee ordered the payment to be made immediately, and criticised the compensation administrator for delays and lack of transparency. In December last year, he ordered the airline to pay A$90m - the largest employer fine in Australia's industrial history - due to the "sheer scale" of contraventions. Of this amount, A$50m has already been paid to the Transport Workers' Union. "I should draw a line in the sand from today," Justice Lee said as he ordered the payment be "decoupled" from the wider compensation scheme. "It is simply unfair to make those who have done all they reasonably can do to engage with the administrator to wait any longer."

Amazon accused of ‘grueling working conditions' and wage suppression

New Jersey has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that the company unlawfully uses its dominant position in the market for delivery drivers to suppress competition, keep wages artificially low, and impose poor working conditions on contractors in its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) network. In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, New Jersey charged that Amazon “orchestrated a deliberate and unlawful scheme” to harm thousands who were forced to work under “grueling and often inhumane conditions” through its creation and control over DSPs. Amazon has rejected the allegations, saying its delivery partners are independent businesses that control their own hiring and operations.

Syria reinstates dismissed civil servants

Syria's transitional government has reinstated all civil servants dismissed for participating in the 2011 uprising against the Assad regime. Minister of Local Administration and Environment Mohammad Anjarani described the move as an “ethical and national responsibility.” The ministry said it aims to review the qualifications of returning employees to effectively rebuild state institutions. The decision is part of a broader effort to reverse politically motivated dismissals, with nearly 50,000 civil servants reinstated since the regime's collapse in December 2024. Anjarani observed that these returning employees possess valuable experience for the country's rebuilding process.

Minister clash over 52-hour workweek exemption in 'special' zones

Korea's industry and labour ministers have clashed over whether to exempt some workers from the country's 52-hour workweek cap, in a public expression of sharply differing views that underscores divisions over how far local labour regulations should be eased to boost competitiveness. Under the Labor Standards Act, employees are generally prohibited from working more than 52 hours a week - a standard 40-hour workweek plus up to 12 hours of overtime. Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan has said that companies within proposed "megaspecial zones" should be allowed to operate outside the limit, arguing that the cap obstructs growth, but his labour counterpart said Korean firms are not being disadvantaged by the rule.
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OTHER

Japanese firm's 'human refrigerator' offers relief from extreme summer heat

Japanese industrial equipment maker Trusco Nakayama has developed a "human refrigerator" designed to help prevent heatstroke as the country experiences increasingly severe summer temperatures. The ¥1.5m ($9,500) Do Hiemon Box, which cools users with 5°C air inside a 15°C booth, has already sold around 200 units to customers including construction sites, steel mills and universities. The company has also deployed the units to evacuation shelters following last week's earthquake in Kumamoto. Trusco said demand for workplace cooling products has roughly doubled in recent years as rising temperatures and tighter heat safety regulations drive interest in cooling solutions. 
 
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