Regional Member Meeting Manchester Economy & Employment: what members need to know now

Meeting Agenda

Welcome, Introduction and APSCo update
Moya Rylands, Commercial Director,  APSCo UK

Economic Update
Simon Wells, Chief European Economist, HSBC

The transatlantic alliance since WWII has been upended. Global trade policy is in turmoil. Europe must re-think defence spending. This uncertainty is crippling some investment and spending decisions.

Against that backdrop, the UK economy grew 0.7% in Q1. But with global trade uncertainty hitting investment and exports, is the best of 2025 already behind us? Higher-than-expected inflation in ‘awful April’ and cost rises for firms mean business surveys signal stagnation through mid-year.

Ongoing wage growth and high labour costs worry Bank of England policymakers. Could their “careful and gradual” approach slow the pace of rate cuts, or will weak activity data keep easing on track?

Either way, limited trade deals and rising real-terms household incomes offer some support – and upside risks – to the outlook. It’s a challenging time, but not all bad.

The Employment Rights Bill – an update (what we know so far)     
Zainab Hussein, Employment Lawyer, Brabners

Understandably, many recruitment businesses are feeling uncertain about the evolving legal landscape and potential cost implications, which makes planning ahead challenging. Yet with change comes opportunity. Legal experts from Brabners are supporting recruitment businesses to anticipate developments and position your business to take advantage of opportunities — particularly when it comes to strengthening your relationships with clients.

Join Zainab to discuss and explore:

• The timeline – what we know so far about the expected timescales for legal reforms and what may be coming next.
• What you can do to prepare now – practical steps to help your business stay ahead of developments and support clients through the changes.
• Latest developments - an overview of key proposals currently being debated as part of the Employment Rights Bill, including:

1. 1. Obligations for agency workers to be offered guaranteed working hours (what the proposed changes could mean in practice and who they will apply to)
   2. Compensation for cancelled or shortened shifts – how this new requirement may affect agency models and commercial arrangements.

Round Table Discussions 

• Strategies to maintain staff engagement and retention through challenging market conditions
• How and when to diversify to enable growth
• Client retention and developing the value proposition in a competitive marketplace