Tag: Report

Google cuts jobs of ‘40-45 workers’ from news division: Report

Tech giant Google has laid off several workers in its news division, a report by CNBC has said.

An illuminated Google logo is seen inside an office building in Zurich,(Reuters)
An illuminated Google logo is seen inside an office building in Zurich,(Reuters)

According to an Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson, an estimated 40 to 45 workers in Google News have lost their jobs. The spokesperson, however, added that they were unaware of the exact number.

A spokesperson of Google confirmed the development, but did not provide the figures of how many people have been laid off.

“We are deeply committed to a vibrant information ecosystem, and news is a part of that long-term investment,” the spokesperson said.

“We have made some internal changes to streamline our organization. A small number of employees were impacted. We’re supporting everyone with a transition period, outplacement services and severance as they look for new opportunities at Google and beyond.”

A Google employee on LinkedIn  described those laid off as “some of the best and brightest people”.

“These are some of the best and brightest people I’ve ever worked with, and frankly, I don’t expect the calculus behind this decision will ever make sense to me. We’re definitely worse off without them,” he wrote.

The layoffs at Google News come amid a war between Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation, Hamas. Israel is preparing a ground assault in the Gaza Strip in response to a deadly attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas that killed at least 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, on October 7. Over 2,500 people have died in Palestine during Israel’s retaliatory strikes.

The was has also led to a barrage of misinformation on social media platforms. Several prominent persons have urged social media networks such as X (previously Twitter), Facebook and Instagram to take strict steps to contain false news.

Google has maintained that the layoffs

United Kingdom Buy Now Pay Later Business and Investment Opportunities Report 2023: Market to Grow by 17.8% to Reach $33.8 Billion in 2023 – Forecasts to 2028 – ResearchAndMarkets.com

The BNPL payment industry in United Kingdom has recorded strong growth over the last four quarters, supported by increased ecommerce penetration.

With the surging cost of living in the United Kingdom, more shoppers are turning to buy now pay later schemes to manage their cash flow. According to the publisher, over 36% of consumers have used BNPL more than once because of rising inflation and cost of living. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are the ones using the payment method more frequently.

The most popular category where consumers are using the payment method includes consumer electronics products, such as smartphones, TVs, and computers. This is followed by clothing, home improvement, and health and wellness products, among others. The growing usage of BNPL schemes, due to the cost of living, is also driving consumer debt in the United Kingdom.

BNPL firms are offering value-added services to their consumers to build brand loyalty in the United Kingdom

The competition in the BNPL space has increased significantly over the last two years. To gain a competitive advantage and build brand loyalty, BNPL providers are moving beyond flexible payment schemes.

In November 2022, Klarna, one of the leading players in the United Kingdom BNPL industry, announced the launch of a search and compare tool within its app for consumers in the United Kingdom. The add-on feature will allow consumers to look out for the best deals when shopping online. The launch of the feature builds upon the acquisition of PriceRunner, a comparison-shopping service, which Klarna acquired in April 2022.

Over the last 12 months, Klarna has swiftly moved beyond flexible payment schemes to offer more and more features to its customers. The launch of the search and compare tool is part of the firm’s super app strategy through which Klarna aims to offer everything

TikTok Launching E-Commerce Business Competing With Shein And Temu, Report Says

Topline

TikTok is expanding its empire and launching an e-commerce business to sell Chinese-made goods in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, as the fast-growing social media app attempts to compete with other online shopping platforms like Shein and Temu.

Key Facts

Beginning in August, the social media platform will offer an Amazon-like marketplace called TikTok Shop Shopping Center, which will allow users to go to one place to view and buy goods, according to the Journal, which cited unnamed sources.

Everything from clothes to electronics will be manufactured and sold in China and then shipped to U.S. customers from both TikTok’s program and other retailers, with TikTok handling marketing and logistics, the Journal reported.

Chinese suppliers will only be paid by TikTok after finding U.S. buyers, and if items are unpopular the platform plans to return those items to the suppliers to avoid being stuck with inventory, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

With the new platform, TikTok is aiming to increase the total transaction amount of goods on the platform from $5 billion last year to $20 billion this year, the paper reported.

Key Background

TikTok’s e-commerce business will soon have to compete with Temu and fast-fashion platform Shein, which have been offering online customers shockingly low prices and a wide variety of selection. Temu, a Boston-based Chinese-owned retailer, has seen increased success this year from a popular Super Bowl ad and TikTok exposure. Temu has claimed the way it keeps prices low is by “cutting out the middleman” by allowing Chinese vendors to sell directly to American buyers and shipping directly from China. Meanwhile, Chinese-based Shein has become one of the most popular clothing

ESPN Cuts 20 On-Camera Positions, Report Says

ESPN cut 20 employees on Friday, according to the Washington Post, adding to layoffs at National Geographic, Grazia and Bloomberg this month, as a brutal series of closures and job losses rock the media industry in 2023.

June 29ESPN cut 20 on-camera positions—including longtime commentator Jeff Van Gundy—and canceled a morning radio show hosted by Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson and Jay Williams, according to the Washington Post, as Disney continues a wave of layoffs announced earlier this year.

June 27National Geographic laid off its staff writers, according to senior writers Craig Welch and Doug Main, who said the staff was notified about the layoffs “a while ago.”

June 26The Italian fashion magazine Grazia shut down its U.S. publication, according to Puck, after CEO Dylan Howard decided to not renew its publishing license with Pantheon Media.

June 24At least three people were laid off from The Hollywood Reporter, according to TheWrap.

June 22Bloomberg cut about 10 people from its national news desk, radio and television staff, according to Insider.

June 22Cheddar News—founded by former BuzzFeed president Jon Steinberg in 2016—laid off about 12 employees, according to Insider, including longtime anchors Chloe Aiello and Baker Machado, after the company said it, “like many other media companies,” suffered from a “challenging advertising environment.”

June 20Warner Bros. Discovery is laying off about 100 employees from its Discovery and Turner cable networks, according to Variety, as the company faces financial pressure amid a transition from cable to streaming and a heavy debt burden from last year’s merger of Discovery and AT&T-owned Warner Media.

June 14Bell Canada Enterprises announced it would eliminate 1,300 positions—an estimated 3% of its workforce—and close or sell nine radio stations, according to The Canadian Press, after executive

ENGIE Announces Inaugural North American Business Energy Census Report

Results identify key trends within retail energy market

HOUSTON, June 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ENGIE Resources (“ENGIE”), a leading commercial electricity provider and America’s Energy Greentailer™, has teamed with Energy Research Consulting Group (“ERCG”) to develop the inaugural North American Business Energy Census. The study measures, tracks and uncovers insights from aggregators, brokers, and consultants (“ABCs”) through survey results on current and future trends on energy and sustainability. The findings are based on feedback from ABCs who represent approximately 950,000 customer locations in the U.S.

ENGIE, an affiliate of ENGIE North America Inc. and part of the ENGIE Group, a leader in the Net Zero energy transition, aims to fill a void in the energy space with insight into different topics including price, behavior and market structure while also filling gaps in market intelligence through the Business Energy Census results.

“This census is the result of months-long research that included extensive surveys with responses from a range of firms varying in geography, revenue, and business model,” said J.D. Burrows, Vice President Customer Analytics and Engagement at ENGIE. “This comprehensive, annual survey report will help provide a better roadmap for the future of energy in North America and provide the knowledge and tools to help energy decision-makers stay ahead of the curve.”

The commercial – or B2B – energy market is a dynamic landscape that is constantly changing due to various domestic and global factors. Four key trends with implications and opportunities for each were uncovered in the North American Business Energy Census.

Trend One – Energy: A Surging Force in Business – The report revealed 51% of organizations view energy as more strategic in organizations over the past

Google Wants Its Employees Back in the Office: Report

Over the past three years, remote and hybrid work has swept the workforce, and some employees prefer doing their jobs from the comfort of their own homes — much to the chagrin of many companies that want their workers in the office.

Now, Google is set to crack down on employees who haven’t been coming into the office.

On Wednesday, Google’s Chief People Officer, Fiona Cicconi, told employees in a company-wide email that new initiatives will be taken regarding the hybrid work policy will be enforced, The Wall Street Journal reported, including issuing reminders to workers with frequent absences, tracking office badge swipes, and factoring attendance in performance reviews.

Cicconi wrote in the email that Googlers who spend at least three days a week in the office “feel more connected to other Googlers” and it is “magnified when teammates work from the same location,” Cicconi wrote in the email, viewed by WSJ.

“Of course, not everyone believes in ‘magical hallway conversations,’ but there’s no question that working together in the same room makes a positive difference,” the email said.

Related: CEOs Are Blaming The Need For Mentorship to Justify The Forced Return of All Employees. Reality Calls For a Very Different Approach.

Cicconi added that many of the new features and products unveiled during Google’s developer conference last month were “conceived, developed, and built by teams working side by side.”

“Our hybrid approach is designed to incorporate the best of being together in person with the benefits of working from home for part of the week,” a spokesperson for Google told Entrepreneur. “Now that we’re more than a year into this way of working, we’re formally integrating this approach into all of our workplace policies.”

A recent survey from CNBC and Survey Monkey found that 56% of

Australia Embedded Finance Business and Investment Opportunities Report 2023: Market is Expected to Grow by 46.4% to Reach $4,277 Million in 2023

DUBLIN, May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The “Australia Embedded Finance Business and Investment Opportunities Databook – 50+ KPIs on Embedded Lending, Insurance, Payment, and Wealth Segments – Q1 2023 Update” report has been added to  ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

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The Embedded Finance industry in Australia is expected to grow by 46.4% on annual basis to reach US$4,277.0 million in 2023.

The embedded finance industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 35.1% during 2023-2029. The embedded finance revenues in the country will increase from US$4,277.0 million in 2023 to reach US$17,748.8 million by 2029.

The Australian payments ecosystem has been growing at a steady pace over the last few years. The innovation led by the buy now pay later sector along with the growing adoption of digital payments among consumers during the global pandemic period has driven the growth of the embedded finance industry in Australia. The trend is projected to further continue in the Australian market, as global players and domestic firms continue to invest in the space.

The growth of the sector will be assisted by the increasing prominence of embedded insurance solutions among Australians. With new players entering the market, firms are also raising a funding round to compete and expand their reach among consumers in the country. Overall, the embedded finance industry is expected to record strong growth over the next three to four years in Australia.

Embedded finance firms are raising capital rounds to further accelerate their growth in Australia

The demand for embedded finance solutions has grown significantly among customers as well as businesses, in Australia and overseas. To cater to the growing demand and accelerate their growth, firms are raising funding rounds in the country.

In September 2022, Shaype, an Australian

Global Embedded Finance Business and Investment Opportunities Report 2023: Market is Expected to Grow by 39.4% to Reach $267.53 Billion in 2023

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Dublin, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Global Embedded Finance Business and Investment Opportunities – 50+ KPIs on Embedded Lending, Insurance, Payment, and Wealth Segments – Q1 2023 Update” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

Global Embedded Finance industry is expected to grow by 39.4% on annual basis to reach US$267,530.2 million in 2023.

The embedded finance industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 28.5% during 2023-2029. The embedded finance revenues in the country will increase from US$267,530.2 million in 2023 to reach US$862,171.7 million by 2029.

Globally, investment in the embedded finance sector has surged significantly as both fintech firms and banking institutions seek to capitalize on the growing shift toward embedded financial offerings. Digital platforms and businesses are increasingly integrating financial services into their products and services to drive customer loyalty, revenue growth, and convenience.

Private equity and venture capital firms are also foreseeing high growth in the sector, especially in countries like India, where the market will record strong growth as more consumers bank, invest, borrow, and make online transactions. The market is also projected to record robust growth in the B2B embedded lending space, as small businesses struggle to access working capital through traditional channels.

Embedded lending leading the growth of the embedded finance industry in the global market

The macroeconomic challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses are driving the demand for working capital globally. With merchants and retailers struggling to access credit through traditional channels, due to rising interest rates, embedded lending providers are experiencing strong growth around the world.

In India, Rupifi announced that the firm had disbursed over INR 20 billion in loans to businesses since its inception in 2020. The firm is offering embedded lending solutions through leading B2B marketplaces

Trump Faces 34 Felony Counts For Falsifying Data, Report States

Topline

Former President Donald Trump will be charged with 34 felony counts for falsifying small business information, according to Yahoo Information, as Trump—whose legal group statements they had not been briefed on the charges—is established to be arraigned Tuesday in New York in relationship to “hush money” payments to grownup film actress Stormy Daniels (UPDATE: Trump charged).

Key Information

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Business will cost Trump with 34 felony counts for falsifying small business documents, a supply briefed on Trump’s arraignment advised Yahoo, as a conviction that can final result in up to 4 a long time in prison—though it is not likely Trump will encounter prison time as a initially-time offender.

A spokesperson for Trump indicated his legal group experienced not found the indictment or been briefed on its particulars.

A cost of falsifying business documents can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor, however an unnamed supply explained to Yahoo they were greater to felonies was for the reason that “the perform was intended to conceal another underlying crime”—likely marketing campaign finance violations.

Attorney Alina Habba claimed in an job interview with CNN that Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg experienced leaked the facts about Trump’s costs.

Trump agreed with Habba in a Real truth Social write-up that Bragg had “illegally LEAKED” details on the “pathetic indictment towards me” though contacting for Bragg to be “IMMEDIATELY INDICTED.”

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not promptly answer to a request for comment from Forbes.

Important Estimate

In a separate Truth of the matter Social post, Trump all over again instructed Bragg experienced “ILLEGALLY LEAKED” the costs and called for Bragg to resign “NOW!”

What To Enjoy For

A doc outlining Trump’s indictment will

UK firms report surge in orders amid signs of economic recovery | Economic growth (GDP)

Britain’s businesses are reporting a spring surge in order books, boosting hopes that the economy may finally be recovering after flirting with recession late last year.

After official figures showing the UK performed slightly more strongly than originally thought towards the end of 2022, the Institute of Directors said there had been an improvement in demand, confidence, hiring and investment intentions in March.

The IoD said its survey of more than 900 firms – which showed a pick up in growth across all sectors – suggested the economy would confound predictions in the budget two weeks ago that output would fall in the first three months of 2023.

Kitty Ussher, chief economist at the Institute of Directors, said: “The data coming from our members is strongly suggestive of growth across all sectors in recent weeks. In particular, the strengthening of order books since the end of last year points to an economy performing better in the first quarter than was anticipated as recently as the March budget.”

Half of all firms (50%) reported in March that their order books were healthier than at the end of 2022, with 22% saying they were weaker. The balance of +28 was up from +8 in November 2022 and -2 in September 2022. The IoD said net positive scores are recorded in all parts of the economy, including consumer-facing sectors and manufacturing.

Ussher said: “While this is undoubtedly good news, strong demand also means that it may take longer than many forecasters currently expect for inflation to come within sight of the Bank of England’s target any time soon.” Britain’s annual inflation rate rose from 10.1% to 10.4% in February, while figures for the 20-country eurozone for March released on Friday showed a fall from 8.5% to 6.9%.

The Office for National Statistics confirmed