By SIMON CONSTABLE
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Atelier du Chocolat Bayonne, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thursday, January 9, 2025
Korn Ferry: A Slump in Britain’s Hiring
By SIMON CONSTABLE
Two years ago, British companies couldn’t find enough people to work for them. It was the Great Resignation of 2022, and salaries soared.
But things have changed dramatically since then. New job vacancies in the UK have dropped by a staggering 23% through the end of November versus the same time last year, according to data from job-posting website Indeed. Britain is also far behind other rich countries such as Germany, Ireland, the US, and Canada, in which job openings dropped between 5% and 15% over the same period. Read more here.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
WSJ: FINANCIAL FLASHBACK -- 25 YEARS AGO: The AOL-Time Warner Merger
By Simon Constable
In January 2000, Steve Case, CEO of internet provider AOL, agreed to merge with media conglomerate Time Warner for a record-breaking $156 billion offer for a public company.
At the time, The Wall Street Journal noted that the 15-year-old AOL wasn’t old enough to purchase beer.
On the other hand, Time was founded in 1923 and survived the Great Depression with many well-loved brands. “[AOL] has essentially swallowed an ancien regime media conglomerate that took most of a century to construct,” wrote The Wall Street Journal.
“This was supposed to be the proving ground of Old Economy meets New Economy,” says Pete Earle, a senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. AOL needed content, Time Warner had lots of it, and there would be synergies. “It seemed like a match made beyond heaven,” says Earle.
But that dream died fast.
A big part of the issue was the culture clash. “You have Time Warner, a conservative long-lived company added to AOL, an aggressive tech firm,” Earle says. “It hindered effective collaboration.”
In retrospect, the deal’s announcement in January 2000 marked the peak of the dot-com bubble.
Read more here.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
#FRANCE: Best moments for an Englishman living in the South of France. @RealConstable @BatchelorShow Occitanie
By SIMON CONSTABLE
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Toulouse courtyard. Credit: Jennifer Reynolds
Daily Telegraph: Humiliation for Labour as ‘Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers’ song surges in charts
Broadcasters, including the BBC, are refusing to play the parody Christmas track
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Darden Graduate School of Business: Worried About Artificial Intelligence? You Aren't Alone
By SIMON CONSTABLE
When ChatGPT launched two years ago, it threw generative artificial intelligence (AI) into the media limelight. While many in business saw the opportunities for increased efficiency, others expressed serious concerns at both extremes.
Most Americans worry that AI will take their jobs. A recent poll by Gallup revealed that nearly seven out of 10 people believe this will happen over the long term. However, what’s less well known is that the people in the business of using AI are also worried. The problem they see is multifaceted but ultimately boils down to one thing: Trust. Read more here.
Barron's: NATO Is Taking Up Arms. These ETFs Stand to Gain.
By SIMON CONSTABLE
The West, along with its allies, is now growing its armories with munitions, tanks, and other war materiel. After decades of complacency from some countries, the spending surge could continue for the foreseeable future, experts say.
“The war continues to rage in Ukraine and is a serious concern,” says Seth Jones, president of the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ Defense and Security Department. “There will be a push for increased defense spending.” Read more here.
F-35 Training Excercise
Staff Sergeant Alexander Cook, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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