On Monday 12 October Hays reported that its net fees in the UK and Ireland fell 5% in the three months to 30 September, with permanent fees down 9%. Across the group, permanent fees fell 7%: placements were down 12%, but the average fee rose 5%. Group temporary and contract fees slipped just 1%. On Wednesday 14 October Robert Walters reported the opposite for the same quarter: UK net fees up 10% to £13.2m, helped by strong permanent hiring, as group net fees returned to growth (up 1% at constant currency) after 13 quarters of decline.

Robert Half's 2027 Salary Guide, published on Tuesday 13 October, shows where the money is going. It puts average pay growth for finance and accounting roles at just 1.4%, yet 42% of finance and accounting hiring managers say they are paying above their planned range to secure specialist skills, and 36% of employers pay more for generative AI skills. FP&A analysts (up 2.9%) and qualified financial accountants in financial services (up 4.9%) are among the larger rises.

Why it mattersThe two firms differ in size and mix, so neither result is the whole market, but the common thread is clear: employers are making fewer permanent hires and paying more for each one, with the money going to scarce skills. The figures are national, but East Anglian finance teams face the same squeeze. Employers should set aside a real premium for the one or two roles that need forecasting, systems or reporting skills, rather than spreading small rises across the whole team, and be ready to move within days, because candidates with those skills may well have other options. Interim and temporary cover, which is holding up far better than permanent hiring, can bridge gaps until the Budget on Wednesday 28 October settles cost plans. For candidates, general rises look modest; the larger gains go to people who can show results in FP&A, finance systems or AI tools.

Norfolk County Council drops its Norse Care sale

On Tuesday 13 October Norfolk County Council withdrew its plan to sell Norse Care and its 20 care homes, 17 of them still open, to Stow Healthcare, based near Bury St Edmunds, saying the deal was not in the best interests of residents and taxpayers. The council's contract with Norse Care, which began in 2011, has been extended to the end of December while officers look for a more locally focused solution.

Employment status reform is narrower than expected

A government consultation published on Wednesday 14 October keeps the three categories of employee, worker and self-employed, rather than creating a single worker status. It proposes that people be presumed to be workers unless the business proves otherwise, with extra tribunal penalties of £100 to £20,000 per claim for repeat failures; tax status, including IR35, is unchanged, and the consultation closes on Friday 8 January 2027. A contractor could therefore gain worker rights while staying outside IR35, widening the gap between the employment and tax tests.

Economy edges up as gilt yields stay high

The ONS said on Thursday 15 October that GDP grew 0.1% in August, when a fall had been forecast, and 0.7% in the three months to August. The 10-year gilt yield touched 5.46% on Wednesday 14 October, close to its highest since July 2007, before easing to 5.38% on Friday 16 October, with markets still expecting a quarter-point rise at the Bank of England's meeting on Thursday 5 November.

Moore Kingston Smith to become Auren

Moore Kingston Smith will rebrand as Auren in March 2027, joining firms in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Ireland in a partnership of more than 7,000 people, AccountingWEB reported on Tuesday 13 October. The firm took private equity funding from Waterland in 2023; for finance teams that use it, the familiar adviser name will change as private equity reshapes the mid-tier.