Gold dust

• What is the minimum wage starting from April 2025?

  £12.25 for 21 years old+
• What is the current interest rate in the UK?

  4.5% but were 5.25% in June 2024
• What new control do local councils have over transport?

  More control over bus services
• What are the main reasons for lower productivity in the UK?

  Weak investment, poor infrastructure, skills gaps
• What is the current trend of interest rates since June 2024?

  They have been gradually falling
• What factors contribute to labor market shortages in the UK?

  Retiring workers, Brexit, health issues
• What is the target inflation rate in the UK?

  2%
• What caused inflation to rise as high as 11%?

  Supply chain disruptions, labour shortages, a weak pound, Wheat production due to Russia and Ukraine
• What is the current disinflation rate as of February 2025?

  3% which has allowed the Bank of England to cut interest rates
• What are the main issues in the labour market?

  Labor shortages and skills gaps
• What are the key challenges facing the UK economy in 2025?

  • Lower productivity compared to other countries
  • High interest rates compared to pre-2022 levels
  • Labour market shortages due to various factors
  • Declining investment post-Brexit
  • Ageing population affecting government finances
  • National debt at 100% of GDP
  • Higher income inequality and Gini coefficient around 0.35
• What is the UK's main trade deficit attributed to?

  Balance of trade in goods
• What are the key exports of the UK?

  Cars, chemicals, machinery, fuel
• Which country does the UK import the most from?

  China
• What has Brexit done to trade with the EU?

  Added new barriers to trade
• How has the pound's value changed post-Brexit?

  Remained weak compared to other currencies despite high interest rates
• What was the UK's growth rate in the first half of 2024?

  0.1% and has been flatlining
• What is the expected trend for inflation in summer 2025?

  Expected to increase
• What is the unemployment rate in the UK?

  4.4%
• What are the more important labor market issues in the UK?

  Labor shortages and skills gaps
• What are the key economic indicators for the UK economy in 2025?

  • Interest rates: 4.5%
  • Inflation target: 2%
  • Current inflation: 11%
  • Unemployment rate: 4.4%
  • National debt: 100% of GDP
  • Gini coefficient: 0.35
• A recent economic policy on vaping?

  New indirect taxes on vaping from 2026 single disposable vapes will be banned from June
• What’s happening to UK railways?

  They are going to become nationalised and fully owned by the government