Brexit turmoil hits UK firms' hiring and investment plans - REC survey

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

According to the latest survey conducted by the British Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the country’s firms have cut their hiring and investment plans amid growing Brexit uncertainty, Reuters reports.

Key Highlights:

“More firms were downbeat about the outlook for jobs and investment than were optimistic for the first time since the Recruitment and Employment Confederation began its surveys in June 2016, the month of the Brexit referendum.

While more employers planned to increase rather than cut permanent staff, hiring intentions weakened sharply. For temporary staff, the survey showed outright cuts were likely.

The REC survey of 600 employers took place between Dec. 11 and Feb. 21.”

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry noted: “For months, businesses have told us that they were concerned about the general outlook for the economy. It is clear to us that this concern is now closer to home.”

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

GBP/USD treads water around 1.3400 as Hormuz risks lift USD

GBP/USD trades with caution around 1.3400 in European trading on Monday, away from an over three-week high, or levels just above the 1.3500 psychological mark touched on Friday. The pair faces headwinds from a modest US Dollar rebound as investors rush to safety amid renewed jitters on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and US-Iran talks.

EUR/USD consolidates below 1.1600 amid Mideast tensions

EUR/USD kicks off the new week on a subdued note and trades below 1.1600 in the European morning on Monday, well within striking distance of a fresh high since June 17, touched in reaction to the disappointing US jobs data on Friday.

Gold climbs back to $4,350; remains below June 17 high

Gold reverses a modest intraday dip, and climbs to the top boundary of its daily range, closer to the $4,350 level heading into the European session. The commodity, however, remains below its highest level since June 17, touched on Friday, following the release of the US Nonfarm Payrolls report.

Cardano: Bulls eye a second leg higher as whales buy

Cardano trades above $0.196 at the start of the week after posting double-digit gains over the past two weeks. ADA’s bullish price action is supported by steady whale accumulation. Meanwhile, derivatives sentiment is showing a slight bullish tilt, suggesting a second leg higher for ADA.

The hottest trade of 2026 has a problem

The carry trade has been one of the biggest winners of the year, helped by low volatility, wide interest-rate gaps, and a relatively stable dollar. But now, parts of that setup are starting to crack.

9-3: Is the Federal Reserve’s vote tally Warsh's new forward guidance?

The rate did not move. Neither did the statement, and that’s the more interesting fact. Set the July 29 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) statement beside the one issued on June 17, and the two documents are identical apart from a single verb and a paragraph at the bottom naming three dissenters.