Business
Tesco boss warns Starmer UK is ‘sleepwalking’ into joblessness epidemic
Tesco’s UK chief, Ashwin Prasad, has warned that the nation is in danger of “sleepwalking into an epidemic” of joblessness, while taking aim at government policies that increase hiring costs for employers.
Mr Prasad said there had been a “clear, gradual change” over the past decade in people falling out of the workforce, saying there are “far fewer people in work than there could be” and calling for significant change from the government in how it tackles the issue.
“We have been sleepwalking into a quiet epidemic that is keeping millions of people out of work,” said Mr Prasad.
“My perspective from leading a major employer in this country is that far fewer people are in work than there could be.
“This means that instead of investing in parts of national life that might stimulate investment and growth into the wider economy, we are spending an ever-increasing proportion of our national income on out-of-work benefits. We cannot afford to be a country that lets the next generation languish on the sideline.”
Tesco employs around 300,000 people and is likely the largest private employer in the country.
His comments come as the UK unemployment rate currently sits at 5.1 per cent – the highest level since the tail end of the pandemic in January 2021.
The Bank of England has forecast that it could rise even higher to hit the same peak as during mid-2020, reaching 5.3 per cent, while a recent survey of economists suggested two-thirds believed unemployment could rise up to 5.5 per cent.
Speaking at a Resolution Foundation event, the Tesco chief said there were multiple reasons why joblessness had increased but pointed to official forecasts which show that Britain will spend over £330bn on welfare this year, which the Office for Budget Responsibility predicts will grow to more than £400bn by 2030-31.
Labour have made a sustained push to get more people back into jobs, including plans for large scale welfare reform and altered rates within Universal Credit.
The UK CEO also suggested Tesco faced an outsized hit when the cost of employment rose – which includes increases in employer national insurance contributions and rising in minimum and living wages requirements – as it has such a large number of staff on its books, noting the firm’s “biggest expenditure is the salaries and the wages” of employees.
He criticised regulation and increasing the costs to firms of bringing jobs to the economy, while hinting that they hampered the ability to hire even more people facing a diverse range of circumstances.
“Each time you add a new cost, money has to come from somewhere. In the past five years, we’ve already seen all sorts of new costs for labour, costs for energy and costs for regulation.
“We [the retail sector] provide some of the most flexible work opportunities in the labour market, supporting people to enter the workforce for the first time or re-enter after they’ve taken time out for either childcare or caring,” Mr Prasad added.
This week, Tesco announced 70 new convenience stores were set to open, including some which have taken over prominent sites formerly used by Amazon Fresh.
Business
India opposes China-led IFD pact’s inclusion; flags risks to WTO framework and core principles – The Times of India
India on Saturday said it has strongly opposed the China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement being incorporated into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework, flagging concerns over its systemic implications, PTI reported.The issue was raised at the ongoing 14th ministerial conference (MC14) of the WTO in Yaounde, Cameroon, where Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said such a move could weaken the institution’s foundational structure.“Incorporation of the IFD agreement risks eroding the functional limits of the WTO and undermining its foundational principles,” Goyal said in a social media post.“At #WTOMC14, drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi ji’s philosophy of Truth prevailing over conformity, India showed the courage to stand alone on the contentious issue of the IFD Agreement and did not agree to its incorporation into the WTO framework as an Annex 4 Agreement,” he said.Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement contains Plurilateral Trade Agreements that are binding only on members that have accepted them, unlike multilateral agreements which apply to all members.Goyal said that as part of WTO reform discussions, members are deliberating on guardrails and legal safeguards for plurilateral agreements before integrating any such outcomes into the framework.“In view of the systemic issue at hand, India showed openness to have good faith, comprehensive discussions and constructive engagement under the WTO Reform Agenda,” he added.India had also opposed the pact during the WTO’s 13th ministerial conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.The Investment Facilitation for Development proposal was first mooted in 2017 by China and a group of countries that rely significantly on Chinese investments, including those with sovereign wealth funds. The agreement, if adopted, would be binding only on signatory members.
Business
Middle East crisis: Jubilant FoodWorks reports some Domino’s outlets affected by LPG shortage – The Times of India
Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd (JFL), which operates Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin Donuts in India, has reported constraints in LPG cylinder supplies across parts of its store network due to the ongoing West Asia war, according to ET.In a filing to the BSE, the company said, “Operational impact at this stage is limited and being actively managed. The company is taking several steps to conserve LPG and working overtime to move to alternate energy sources like electricity and piped natural gas (PNG).”It added that it is in continuous touch with oil marketing companies to track developments and respond to the evolving situation. “The company is in constant engagement with oil marketing companies (OMCs) to remain apprised of the latest developments and plan operational responses accordingly, given the rapidly evolving nature of the situation,” the filing said.The company noted that it is closely monitoring the situation as supply disruptions persist.The impact is being felt across the restaurant industry, with several chains facing similar challenges due to LPG shortages.On March 10, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) had advised its five lakh members to consider shorter operating hours, reduce items requiring long cooking times or deep frying, and adopt fuel-saving measures such as using lids while cooking, in view of supply constraints linked to the Gulf war.
Business
Russia sells reserve gold for first time in 25 years to fund Ukraine war deficit: Report – The Times of India
Russia has begun selling physical gold from its central bank reserves for the first time in 25 years, as the government seeks to plug a widening budget deficit driven by sustained military expenditure, according to a report by Berlin-based news outlet bne IntelliNews.Regulatory data show that between 2022 and 2025, Russia sold gold and foreign currency worth over RUB 15 trillion ($150 billion), followed by an additional RUB 3.5 trillion ($35 billion) in just the first two months of 2026, the report noted. In January alone, the Central Bank of Russia sold 300,000 ounces of gold, followed by another 200,000 ounces in February.The move marks a significant shift in reserve management. Earlier, gold transactions were largely notional, involving transfers between the Ministry of Finance and the central bank without physical movement of bullion. In recent months, however, the central bank has started selling actual gold bars into the market.As a result, Russia’s gold holdings have declined to 74.3 million ounces, the lowest level in four years. The disposal of 14 tonnes in January and February is the largest two-month sale since the second quarter of 2002, when 58 tonnes were offloaded in a single tranche.The sales come as Russia’s fiscal position comes under increasing strain. The government ended 2025 with a budget deficit of 2.6 per cent of GDP, compared to an initial projection of 0.5 per cent, Berlin-based bne IntelliNews report noted. Economists estimate the actual deficit could be closer to 3.4 per cent, with some payments deferred to 2026 to limit the reported gap.Pressure on the budget has intensified as oil prices weakened in the second half of the year and US sanctions tightened, reducing the contribution of oil and gas tax revenues to about 20 per cent of total revenues — roughly half of pre-war levels.The decision to sell gold has also been influenced by the sharp rise in bullion prices to above $5,000 per ounce. This surge has pushed Russia’s international reserves to over $809 billion as of February 28, including around $300 billion of assets frozen in the West, according to the Central Bank of Russia. Of this, gold reserves alone are valued at about $384 billion.Russia currently holds more than 2,000 tonnes of gold, making it the world’s fifth-largest sovereign holder, according to World Gold Council data. The country had built up these reserves over the years to reduce dependence on dollar-denominated assets, especially after sanctions imposed following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and further tightened after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Since 2022, the Ministry of Finance has relied on multiple funding channels to manage budget pressures. These include drawing from the National Welfare Fund, which still holds around RUB 4 trillion, increasing issuance of domestic OFZ treasury bonds, and raising value-added tax rates, which account for about 40 per cent of government revenues.The shift to selling physical gold suggests that Russia is now tapping its liquid reserve buffers more directly, underlining the growing fiscal strain as the conflict in Ukraine continues into its fourth year.
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