Business comment, opinions on the business news

Now's the best time for new blood Feb 06 2012

THE start of Apprenticeship Week is – and ought always to be – the opportunity to celebrate good-quality opportunities for young people in the region.Read

Corporates outgrow underlying economy Feb 06 2012

WE ARE now more than a third of the way through US fourth-quarter reporting season and though it is too early to draw any concrete conclusions on the health of the corporate sector, there are certainly plenty of interesting trends to note.Read

Universities can drive our global future Feb 03 2012

DURING the years I headed Software City we were driven by a passion to develop a talented, innovative North East workforce that could make the most of new opportunities we were creating for skilled posts in high-growth technology companies.Read

Building firm’s staff vote to strike Feb 03 2012

WORKERS at a leading construction firm have voted in favour of strike action in a long-running row over pay and conditions.Read

Wearside's rocking as we go into 2012 Feb 01 2012

THE headlines haven't made particularly pleasant reading over the past fortnight.Read

Perspective can make all the difference Feb 01 2012

DEATH by PowerPoint is an ever-present danger at strategy roadshows. Audience participation helps keep it at bay.Read

'Shrinking economy is no surprise' Jan 30 2012

THE Chancellor reacted to news that the economy is once again shrinking with the words “Disappointing, but not surprising”.Read

Danger areas of last year are still an issue Jan 25 2012

NO one would be surprised if the global stock market, having made a strong start to 2012, were to re-encounter its deepest fears at some stage.Read

Teaching a spirit of enterprise Jan 25 2012

OUR schools are the laboratories where our future captains of industry are created and grown.Read

Costa Concordia health and safety wake up call Jan 24 2012

THE pictures of passengers trying to evacuate the Costa Concordia cruise ship after it collided with rocks have been terrifying. To onlookers, the situation appeared to be very chaotic and out of control as passengers tried to escape to dry land.Read

Keeping costs down is key to delivering Deal Jan 24 2012

THE Green Deal was introduced to help stimulate demand for low-carbon products, creating jobs and helping the UK meet its climate change obligations.Read

Investors worried over S&P downgrade Jan 23 2012

STANDARD & Poor’s (S&P) confirmed on Friday that France and Austria have lost their coveted AAA ratings and also downgraded seven other euro area countries, including Italy, Spain and Portugal.Read

Freezing pay creates a vicious spiral of decline Jan 23 2012

IT is not just the mixed messages from the current Labour leadership about public sector pay that have contributed to the recent discussions about pay.Read

Benefits to students of placements Jan 20 2012

THE jobs market for graduates is tough. Those without work experience will find it particularly challenging this year, according to new research.Read

Politicians hold key to recovery in equities Jan 18 2012

WITH a mounting debt crisis in Europe and a combination of low growth and high inflation in the UK it’s little wonder that US equities have consistently outperformed their developed market peers for the last three years.Read

Most vulnerable should not bear the brunt Jan 16 2012

IN its single-minded focus on reducing the public spending deficit quickly and, it would seem, at all costs, the coalition Government is making many clumsy mistakes – deepening its unpopularity as a direct result of the harm it is doing to the most vulnerable people in society.Read

Opportunities arise in support sector Jan 16 2012

THE UK stock market has been relatively strong in the nine days of trading in 2012 despite words of warning from many commentators heeding the multitude of risks to continued economic growth.Read

Market volatility can equal opportunity Jan 11 2012

THE volatility that has been so prevalent in stock markets over the last six months or more has indiscriminately impacted share prices across the board.Read

Action needed to save high streets Jan 11 2012

THE run up to the end of last year and the start of 2012 have seen some alarming forecasts for the retail industry. Undoubtably, there have been successes in what is the most important trading period for most retailers.Read