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UK Edition
22nd June 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Graduate earnings set to fall sharply

Official analysis reveals that today's graduates are set to earn nearly £80,000 less over their lifetimes than those who graduated 20 years ago, intensifying concerns over the value of higher education. An undergraduate completing studies in 2024 can expect lifetime earnings of £816,000, down £76,000 in real terms since 2004, while postgraduate earnings have also fallen. The findings suggest a shrinking "graduate premium" as wages for non-graduates rise faster and graduate employment prospects weaken. Only 57% of 2024 graduates were in full-time work 15 months after finishing.
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TECHNOLOGY

Firms unleash unchecked AI agents

Research from Gravitee, an agent management platform, reveals that UK businesses have deployed more than 700,000 AI agents, and 205,000 of them operate without human oversight. The survey of 250 chief technology officers and vice-presidents found that three-quarters of firms have experienced data breaches linked to these agents. Rory Blundell, chief executive of Gravitee, said: "There are now hundreds of thousands of AI agents loose at major firms: a number that's increasing every second. What worries me is that a huge number of these are acting right now without any oversight and with no accountability. There is nothing standing between them and causing untold chaos - leaking data, spending money, deleting files."
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WORKFORCE

Gen Z wages soar

Analysis from the Resolution Foundation reveals that 24-year-olds today earn more than any previous cohort since the 1950s. Their average weekly pay is 12% higher than that of peers born in the late 1980s, despite concerns over student debt and job opportunities. However, Charlie McCurdy from the foundation stressed the importance of addressing the NEETs crisis, saying: "Getting to grips with Britain's NEETs crisis is crucial for getting the careers of more Gen Z workers off the ground."

Pro-Brexit areas see foreign worker increase

An investigation by the Guardian has found that leave-voting areas have experienced a significant increase in foreign workers since the Brexit referendum. Data shows that net immigration peaked at 944,000 in March 2023, but has since declined.

Employers invested in returnships. Now they are ditching them

Returnships, which offer a route for professionals looking to re-enter the workforce after career breaks, are declining after a post-pandemic surge, with firms becoming more risk-averse amid increasing economic uncertainty.

Ed Miliband would be ‘noose around neck’ of job creation as chancellor, union boss warns

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has said energy secretary Ed Miliband would be a “noose around the neck” of job creation if he became chancellor in an Andy Burnham-led government.
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LEGAL

UK Information Commissioner resigns after 'inappropriate' conduct

John Edwards has resigned as the UK's Information Commissioner following an independent investigation into his conduct. He acknowledged exercising poor judgement and causing offence with "attempts at humour that were inappropriate." Edwards had stepped back from duties in February to facilitate the probe. His resignation comes amid increased scrutiny of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and calls for a more robust regulatory approach to data protection.
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LEADERSHIP

PwC's UK boss appointed to new global role

Marco Amitrano has been appointed to a new global role at PwC, effective 1 July. He will continue leading the UK and Middle East operations while expanding his responsibilities across Europe. The restructuring aims to centralise decision-making and enhance services, including AI-driven consulting. Amitrano, a PwC veteran with 34 years of experience, will work alongside partners from the UK and US. The move follows PwC's efforts to unify global services amid significant job cuts, including 123 partner roles last year. Amitrano commented: "I look forward to driving our global strategy forward."
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RISK

UK levies largest ever fine for Russian sanctions breach

The UK has levied its largest penalty since sanctions were introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A UK subsidiary of Sabre, which provides ticketing services for airlines, was fined more than £1m ($1.3m) for providing Russian carrier Ural Airlines with access to its Global Distribution System for seven months after the company was sanctioned in 2022, according to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). The action “underlines the UK’s increasingly robust enforcement of the Russia sanctions regime in support of Ukraine and sends clear compliance lessons to industry,” OFSI said.
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INTERNATIONAL

Hanson calls for overhaul of Australia's industrial relations laws

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called for an overhaul of Australia's industrial relations laws. During her National Press Club address, Hanson said that "Industrial relations, I can assure you, needs a complete overhaul, because it's not working. Businesses also tell me you can't sack people these days . . . [Workers are] on their phones, they don't work, they don't turn up, they actually are lazy, and businesses are tied to it." ABC notes that a HR representative for small business said Hanson's words did resonate, observing that many of her clients were "terrified to terminate people." But Anne Nalder, CEO of the Small Business Association, said existing laws allow employers to dismiss staff, as long as a clear process is followed. "It's not true that you can't sack workers," Nalder said.

US central bank urged to strengthen how it protects employees

The Inspector General (IG), the Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog, is urging the US central bank to strengthen how it protects employees and information ​during periods of international travel where foreign intelligence agencies might ‌be operational. The IG said the Fed currently lacks a formal programme to prepare staff for international travel and does not make checks after staff trips to investigate whether anything suspicious has occurred. The central bank does not have ⁠a programme to track employee foreign travel or to share risk assessments, ​and it does not have the tools to make sure staff comply with ​foreign travel rules, the watchdog said.

Unions urge workers to stay away from anti-migrant protests

South Africa's major labour unions have advised workers to avoid participating in anti-immigrant protests scheduled for June 30. "We urge ​workers to report for duty and not place their employment at risk," the unions said. They ⁠echoed President Cyril Ramaphosa's call ⁠on Tuesday ​not to scapegoat migrants for South Africa's problems. "Removing foreign nationals from workplaces, communities or public ​spaces will not reopen ⁠factories, repair municipalities, strengthen public healthcare or create sustainable jobs, " said the unions COSATU, FEDUSA, SAFTU and NACTU.

China announces plan to harness AI for job creation

China has announced a new plan to enhance job prospects by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and developing emerging industries, particularly the marine sector. The State Council's "employment-first" strategy for 2026-2030 sets out nine priority areas, including aligning macroeconomic policy with employment goals, stabilising employment in labour-intensive industries, expanding the service sector's capacity to absorb workers, and creating new opportunities in emerging sectors. “Overall, the measures are comprehensive,” observed Nie Riming, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law. “But employment is ultimately a growth issue.”
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OTHER

States - not armed groups - are top killers of children in war, UN says

A UN report reveals that, for the first time in 30 years, government forces rather than armed groups are responsible for the majority of grave violations against children in conflict zones. Israel topped the list countries responsible for violations, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Myanmar, Somalia, and Sudan. Vanessa Frazier, the UN's special representative for children and armed conflict, said the report's findings were indicative of “a worrying shift” and “a deeper erosion of respect for international law.” The report found 38,558 verified grave violations against 24,174 children during 2025, the highest number since the UN's mandate on children and armed conflict was created in December 1996.
 
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