Fashion
UK national living wage, minimum wage to rise from Apr 2026
The national living wage (NLW) for those over 21 will rise by 50 pence an hour, or 4.1 per cent, to £12.71 ($17).
The UK government recently accepted the advice of Low Pay Commission on the changes to minimum wage rates.
The national living wage (NLW) for those over 21 will rise by 50 pence an hour, or 4.1 per cent, to £12.71 ($17).
The national minimum wage (NMW) for those aged 18 to 20 will rise by 8.5 per cent to £10.85.
NMW for 16 and 17 year olds will rise to £8 per hour—a 6-per cent uplift.
The national minimum wage (NMW) for those aged 18 to 20 will rise by 8.5 per cent to £10.85. NMW for 16 and 17 year olds will rise to £8 per hour—a 6-per cent uplift.
Reeves said the move, which would take effect in April next year, would support people struggling to make ends meet, according to domestic media.
The latest increase in NLW for workers 21 and over is worth £900 annually and represents a 22-per cent increase over the past four years. Workers aged 18 to 20 will get an even larger rise, worth £1,500 a year.
Trade bodies and economists, however, cautioned the latest hike may harm employment, particularly among the young.
“Every above-inflation wage increase leads to higher business costs, lower investment and fewer opportunities for individuals. Making employment more expensive risks deepening the jobs crisis among young people,” Jane Gratton, deputy director of public policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said in a statement.
“Our research shows that labour costs remain the biggest cost pressure for SMEs [small and medium enterprises], cited by 72 per cent of businesses in Q3. There’s a limit to how much additional cost employers can bear without something having to give,” she said.
“With unemployment rising, the government needs to use tomorrow’s Budget to ease cost pressures for business. Crucially, there must be no new tax increases for businesses,” she added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
“We designed this collection with parents in mind. Shopping for a newborn, as a gift or for your own, should feel joyful and easy. Everything is intended to be mixed together and matched — it’s fun, it’s emotional, and the value is incredible.”. – Sarah Holme, Head of Design & Product Development for Old Navy.
Old Navy has introduced Little Navy, a new collection of newborn essentials designed to simplify early-stage shopping and gifting.
The range includes layettes, hats, booties and mix-and-match basics in soft, seasonless colours and cosy fabrics.
Sized for babies up to 24 months, the line focuses on comfort, versatility, emotional appeal and strong value for modern parents.
Little Navy goes beyond onesies, offering layettes, hats, booties, and more, all in one convenient collection and no extra searching required. It features a soft, seasonless color palette, cozy fabrics, and versatile styles made for newborns and babies up to 24 months, with sizing that allows Little Navy to grow with baby.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
They said bank audit procedures have stalled numerous applications. Around Tk 57 billion in incentives for the textile and apparel sector remain unsettled in fiscal 2025-26, creating acute liquidity pressure and affecting exports.
Bangladesh trade body BGMEA representatives recently met Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and urged him to release pending cash incentives without waiting for quarterly release schedules and simplify the disbursement process.
They said bank audit procedures have stalled numerous applications.
They also raised concerns over loan rescheduling and working capital.
The authorities were requested to disburse incentives upon application submission instead of waiting for quarterly release schedules, according to a release from the trade body.
BGMEA vice president Mohammad Shihab Uddoja Chowdhury raised concerns over loan rescheduling and working capital. He said banks often reschedule loans to maintain non-performing loan ratios, but fail to provide the working capital factories need to resume operations.
He proposed that banks pair rescheduling with working capital support to create a win-win outcome, allowing factories to operate and repay loans. The finance minister agreed with the proposal.
BGMEA leaders also called for business facilitation and lower operational costs to help Bangladesh remain competitive in the global market. They sought policy support to remove obstacles in customs, ports and other administrative layers and to ensure an investment-friendly environment.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Bangladesh think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue has called for major reforms in business environment, tax collection, trade deals and FDI management, cautioning that the country’s post-election economic transition may be at risk without evidence-based decisions and strong accountability.
A CPD study identified ‘leaking revenue’ as the weakest area across all decision-making indicators.
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