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

Meeting Agenda

3:00pm Welcome, Introduction and APSCo update
Moya Rylands, Commercial Director,  APSCo UK

3:20pm Economic Update
Simon Wells, Chief European Economist, HSBC

The transatlantic alliance that has prevailed since the end of WWII has been upended. Global trade policy has been plunged into turmoil.  Europe to re-think its defence spending.  All this uncertainty is crippling some investment and spending decisions.

Against that backdrop, the UK economy was remarkably strong in Q1, growing 0.7%.  But with global trade uncertainty weighing on investment and exports, is the best of 2025 already behind us?  Higher-than-expected inflation in ‘awful April’ alongside cost rises for firms mean business surveys are signalling stagnation at best through the middle of the year.

Meanwhile ongoing strength in wage growth and high labour costs are worrying the many policymakers at the Bank of England.  Could their “careful and gradual” approach mean a slowing in the pace of rate cuts, or will slowing economic activity indicators mean a steady pace of easing continues?

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

Join Simon to hear more.

4:00pm  The Employment Rights Bill – an update (what we know so far)     
Zainab Hussein, Employment Lawyer, Brabners

We know that 2025 will be a year of change. The Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to introduce significant legal reforms that will impact how employees are hired and how temporary workers are supplied. The draft Bill is currently being debated in Parliament; regular amendments are being proposed; consultations have been launched; and it is under active scrutiny by House of Commons Select Committees.

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.

Following on from our presentations we will have Round Table Discussions on:

• 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