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UK economy on course for 1.5% expansion. In a boost to the government after a bruising month of negative economic figures, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) upped its annual growth prediction from 1.2% to 1.5%. However, it cautioned that an expansion of tariffs after the US president’s 10% levy on imports from China and 25% on Canada and Mexico – now paused for a month – could reduce the pace of growth to 1.3%, and by more if they hit UK businesses directly. A separate survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) found that 63% of manufacturers exporting to the US expected to be affected by US tariffs, while 34% of all UK businesses polled feared some kind of hit. The Guardian

Job loss fears rise in the UK. UK workers are increasingly worried about losing their jobs, despite strong wage growth. The fears are contributing to lower consumer spending. Unemployment expectations rose to a two-year high in January, data from Bank of America shows. It comes as the latest KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation survey indicates the UK job market is experiencing its toughest conditions since the Covid-19 pandemic. A significant drop in demand for staff and fewer placements in both permanent and temporary roles points to the most widespread weakening in demand since August 2020. Financial Times

Salary transparency best in UK. Salary transparency progressed in Europe in 2024, but at a slower rate than previous years, new research from Indeed's Hiring Lab shows. Of the six European nations included in the analysis, the UK had the highest level of salary transparency in 2024, with 69.7% of all job postings on Indeed mentioning salary information. Ireland, France and the Netherlands showed more moderate progress, with 40-50% of job postings including salary data. Germany (15.8%) and Italy (19.3%) were the lowest. EU countries must implement the Pay Transparency Directive by June 2026. HR Magazine

Most underrated leadership skill. Awareness, encompassing self-awareness, situational awareness and relational awareness, is often overlooked as a crucial career skill. Self-awareness involves understanding yourself and how others perceive you. Situational awareness is about spotting signals and adapting to them, while relational awareness focuses on understanding your impact on others. To help boost your awareness at work, ask a trusted colleague where they see room for improvement. Another tip: In a meeting, take a moment to observe your surroundings and other people before weighing in. Which leadership trait do you think is most undervalued in today’s workplace? VOTE HERE

Corruption on the rise. Europe is increasingly struggling to combat corruption, according to the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) from Transparency International. The regional average has decreased for the second consecutive year, with major economies like Germany (down six places to 15th globally) and France (down five places to 25th) sliding, and the UK (20th) remaining at its lowest score since 2012. Even historically robust countries like Norway and Sweden have posted their lowest scores on record. Meanwhile, Denmark defended its top spot for the seventh year in a row, closely followed by Finland and Singapore, while Hungary has the lowest scores in Europe. The US also declined, dropping four places to 28th. Transparency International

Net zero isn’t happening. In China, some 243GW of coal power is under construction. India plans to add another 80GW of coal plants by 2032. In the US, the Trump administration wants to unlock the “liquid gold” of the US’s hydrocarbon reserves. Against this backdrop, the government’s scramble to decarbonise our power grid by 2030, and to block the UK from exploiting lucrative oil and gas reserves in the North Sea, seems self-defeating. Britain already pays the highest industrial energy prices in the world. Sticking rigidly to an unrealistic timetable ignored by other nations will just turn us into even more of a global outlier, enfeeble our economy and make no discernible difference to global emissions. Daily Telegraph

Parking rules to change after 'five-minute fines'. Private parking rules are set to change to ensure motorists are not unfairly penalised if they do not pay within five minutes. The new code of practice will mean that drivers using private car parks, monitored by camera technology such as CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), will have a "safeguard" in place if they experience delays making payments. Under the change, if motorists pay before they leave ANPR-managed pay on entry car parks, regardless of whether they pay within five minutes, they should not receive a penalty notice. BBC

 Gen Z shuns full-time office work. Only 10% of young people in the UK want to work in the office full-time. The research highlights a significant shift in working practices since the Covid-19 pandemic, with over half of Gen Z (52%) admitting they are lazier than their parents. More than one in five (21%) spend most of their working hours at home, and nearly a fifth (17%) want to work from home all the time. The findings also suggest younger people are in the office less often than their older peers and that this could impact their future prospects. The Times

The bottom line. BBC Radio 4 lost roughly 650,000 listeners at the end of last year. The station’s audience in the final quarter of 2024 was about 9.04 million, down from 9.69 million over the summer. The BBC said people are increasingly turning to news podcasts and also using the BBC’s on-demand service. BBC