coronavirus impact News

‘Talent War’ Forces Companies Across Globe to Pay Higher Salaries to Woo Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened a shortage of white-collar workers in many countries, forcing companies to pay higher salaries to woo talent, a top London-based recruiter said on Tuesday [July 27]. Robert Walters – which specializes in the likes of …

World Faces Shortage of Sailors for Commercial Ships, Risking Supply Chains: Report

There could be a shortage of merchant sailors to crew commercial ships in five years if action is not taken to boost numbers, raising risks for global supply chains, a report said on Wednesday. The shipping industry is already struggling …

Global Supply Chains Driven to Breaking Point on New COVID Wave, Natural Disasters

LONDON/BEIJING – A new worldwide wave of COVID-19. Natural disasters in China and Germany. A cyber attack targeting key South African ports. Events have conspired to drive global supply chains towards breaking point, threatening the fragile flow of raw materials, …

London Staff Want Big Pay Raises Before Returning to Their Desks Full-Time: Survey

London office workers want an average pay rise equivalent to the cost of some annual railway season tickets to return to their desks full-time after the pandemic, according to a survey. With COVID-19 restrictions leaving many offices empty, white-collar staff …

P/C Insurers Plan to Boost Their Use of Automation: Willis Towers Watson

Property/casualty insurers plan to accelerate their use of automation for actuarial work, a new Willis Towers Watson survey found. What’s more, COVID-19 has been a major factor in the trend. The sector’s overall aspirational score (toward wanting more automation) was …

COVID Crisis Cuts Global Macro Resilience, Raises Insurance Protection Gap: Swiss Re

The COVID-19 crisis reduced overall global macro resilience – or the ability of societies to absorb shocks – by 18% in 2020 from 2019, according to a sigma report published by Swiss Re Institute. At the same time, the report …

Insurer Aviva Will Close 3 UK Property Funds Hit by Pandemic Economic Turmoil

Insurer Aviva said it will close three UK property funds in July that have been suspended since March last year due to market uncertainty as the pandemic hit Britain’s economy. “During this period of economic uncertainty, it has become increasingly …

Pet Insurance Outshines Travel, Other Inland Marine Coverages Cut by COVID: AM Best

The U.S. inland marine insurance segment experienced a “significant downturn in profitability” in 2020, with its loss ratio deteriorating by nearly 16 percentage points amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an AM Best report. The Best’s Market Segment Report, “Significant …

Home Working Likely to Remain – Even After Pandemic Ends: UK Survey

Home working is likely to remain after the pandemic finishes, according to a survey of 2,000 companies the UK, most of which are planning to allow employees greater flexibility on where and when they do their jobs. CIPD, the professional …

Grant Thornton Staff in UK Want to Stay Home After Pandemic, in New Blow to the Office

In a fresh blow to the office, staff at one of the UK’s largest accountancy firms have given strong support to working mostly from home after the pandemic subsides. A survey of Grant Thornton UK LLP employees found that 88% …