Human Times

UK Edition

4th March 2026

THE HOT STORY

UK's net migration to stay below 300,000 a year

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that net migration to the UK will average 235,000 annually from 2026 to 2030, a reduction of 60,000 from previous estimates. The decline is attributed to increased emigration of British nationals. In 2026, net migration is expected to be 200,000, rising to 281,000 by 2030. The OBR said the level of net migration has a "significant impact" on the level of real GDP. Harry Quilter-Pinner from the Institute For Public Policy Research think-tank warned that reduced migration "poses a medium-term risk to public finances."

Daily Mail

WORKFORCE

Tesco staff to share £134m windfall

Tesco has announced a £134m windfall for over 22,000 eligible employees as part of its save-as-you-earn investor scheme. Staff, primarily from store and distribution roles, could receive average payouts of between £5,000 and £8,000. This windfall significantly exceeds the £30m shared in 2024. Emma Taylor, Tesco's chief people officer, said: "Our people are at the heart of everything we do and when we succeed, we want our colleagues to share in that success."

City AM

M&S drops real living wage pledge

Marks & Spencer has dropped a commitment to align pay with the real living wage for its 55,000 store employees. From April 1, M&S will raise wages by at least 6.4%, bringing hourly rates to £13.41 nationwide and £14.74 in London. However, this falls short of the real living wage, currently set at £13.45 and £14.80 respectively. Data shows that M&S has invested over £350m in staff pay over four years, with the latest rise costing £70m.

The Standard

STRATEGY

Reach continues cost-cutting drive

Reach, the publisher of the Daily Mirror and Daily Express, may implement further job cuts as part of an ongoing cost-reduction strategy. The company is aiming for a 5% to 6% decrease in adjusted operating costs for 2026, following a 5.2% reduction last year. In September, Reach cut over 300 journalism positions due to declining profitability. Chief executive Piers North has not ruled out further job cuts, saying that staff "know that change is constant and that we're currently looking at how we're structured."

The Times

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Accountancy falls short of legal sector on leadership diversity

Analysis by Lubbock Fine suggests that the accountancy sector has fallen behind the legal profession when it comes to diversity across its leadership. The report shows that across 220 accountancy firms analysed, 50% had at least one woman at the board or partnership level, compared with 71% in the 258 law firms analysed. Hazra Patel, a partner at Lubbock Fine, says the analysis suggests that accountancy firms "still have a lot to do to improve female representation in senior leadership roles." Fellow Lubbock Fine partner Stephanie Turner said: "Bringing more women into board-level roles is challenging as it takes time and investment, but it pays off," adding: "Firms with diverse leadership have stronger cultures and perform more effectively."

City AM

LEGAL

Money laundering controls in professional services ‘perform poorly’, says UK watchdog

The Financial Conduct Authority has warned that the supervision of anti-money laundering controls at professional services organisations could be improved and urged bodies supervising the firms to fix the problems.

Financial Times

CYBERSECURITY

Iranian-linked cyber activity surges

The digital activity of Iranian-linked cyber groups has increased tenfold since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, according to Tel Aviv-based cyber security company Check Point Software Technologies. Attacks and activities have focused on Israel and Arab countries and have included phishing attempts and alleged “hack and leak” operations, Check Point has said.

Wall Street Journal

ECONOMY

UK shop price inflation eased last month as food price pressures cool

UK shop price inflation slowed in February, offering modest relief to consumers amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Annual shop price inflation fell to 1.1%, down from 1.5% in January. Food inflation eased to 3.5% from 3.9%, with non-perishable food inflation dropping to a four-year low of 2.3%. Non-food prices declined by 0.1% after a small rise the previous month. While the BRC welcomed the slowdown, it cautioned that prices are still rising and households remain under strain. The Bank of England continues to monitor food prices closely due to their influence on inflation expectations. Meanwhile, potential cost increases from new labour laws and rising global energy prices could add renewed inflationary pressure if sustained.

Bloomberg

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk amid conflict

Millions of migrant workers in the Gulf region are at risk as Iran retaliates against US-Israeli strikes. The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Pakistan are monitoring the location of their citizens and preparing evacuation and repatriation plans, and Vietnam has suspended the deployment of workers to the region. Bloomberg notes that previous conflicts in the Middle East have seen some migrant workers abandoned by employers, often without their wages or travel documents.

Bloomberg

South China Morning Post

Straits Times

ICE faces vetting challenges amid hiring surge

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing significant challenges in vetting new hires amid a historic recruitment push. An internal email reveals concerns about the “high volume of new hires” and stalled background checks, which could create uncertainty for field ‌offices when allegations arise related to actions before joining ‌ICE. “If a Field Office receives derogatory information about a newly hired employee's conduct prior to . . . employment, please refer the matter to [the internal Integrity Investigations Unit],” the email stated. Despite hiring 12,000 officers, critics, including US Senator Dick Durbin, warn that accelerated recruitment may allow unqualified candidates into the agency, potentially increasing officer misconduct. Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former ICE official, emphasized the importance of thorough background checks, saying: “To speed, shortcut, or limit background checks or training puts the public and other law enforcement officers at risk.”

U.S. News

Tesla and IG Metall reach truce in dispute

Tesla and the German union IG Metall are for now to set aside their dispute over a labour meeting at the company's factory near Berlin last month, the union has said. The automaker had filed a criminal complaint against a union member it accused of secretly recording the meeting on February 10. IG Metall had described the claim as a "calculated lie". Local IG Metall leader Jan Otto said: "Now, just a few days before the works council election, we can concentrate fully on the issues [over working conditions] . . . there's a lot to do," said

Reuters

China prepares landmark law curtailing minority language rights

China is this week set to enact a landmark law requiring ethnic minorities to use Mandarin Chinese as their main language of instruction, the Financial Times reports.

Financial Times

OTHER

Woolworths reins in AI chatbot after it claimed to be human

Australian retailer Woolworths has adjusted its AI assistant, Olive, after users reported it discussing its mother during customer interactions. Complaints surfaced on platforms like Reddit, where users described Olive's off-topic conversations, including personal anecdotes about its family. A Woolworths spokesperson clarified that these responses were scripted by a human employee years ago to create a personal connection. Following customer feedback, the company has removed this particular scripting. Olive has been operational since 2018 and was recently enhanced through a partnership with Google to expand its capabilities.

The New Zealand Herald

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