EDITION 882
16 AUGUST 2021

There is no escaping it: too much news is bad for you. It should come with a government health warning: “This intellectual diet is fine taken in small doses, and preferably in weekly instalments, via a well-balanced newsletter, such as 10 things from William Montgomery."

So, as another week slips by, here are 10 things which caught my attention and may have escaped yours. Please feel free to share on social media and forward to your colleagues and friends so they can also subscribe, learn and engage. I would be very grateful if you did.

William Montgomery
Editor and CEO of TEN

1. How to gauge company culture. When deciding whether to accept a job offer, one big factor to consider is the organisational culture. Finding out whether the workplace will be a good fit for you can be tough – so it's important to ask questions during the interview. READ MORE >>

2. UK’s economic boost. The UK economy continues to grow, with the ONS measuring a boost of 4.8 per cent in the second quarter. That was stronger than the growth measured in France (0.9 per cent), Germany (1.5 per cent) or the US (1.6 per cent). To put it into perspective, however, the economy shrank by 9.9 per cent in 2020 and by 1.6 per cent in the first quarter of this year. The economy remains 4.4 per cent smaller than it was in the final quarter of 2019, before the pandemic. The Spectator

3. What makes a great leader? Great communication skills, a knack for articulating a company's vision and mission, and collaborative work styles are often tapped as essential attributes for effective leaders. If the pandemic has taught business executives anything, it is the importance of listening to employees. We’d love to know what skills you value most in your leaders. Vote in our poll and tell us why in the comments below. VOTE HERE >>

4. A-level grade gap grows. The gap between private and state school A-level grades has grown to its widest in the modern era. Nearly 45% of A-level entries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland were awarded top grades of A or A*, up from 38% in 2020 and 25% in 2019. The teacher-assessed grades system disproportionately benefited independent schools, where the proportion of top grades rose nine percentage points to 70%, compared with six percentage points elsewhere. The Guardian

5. Older workers in peril. Economists have warned that older workers are being left out of Britain’s economic recovery after data showed they are more likely to be stuck on the furlough scheme than under 25s. Data from ING revealed that 7.4% of workers older than 55 are on the taxpayer-funded wage scheme as it nears its end next month, sparking fears they will never return to work. Researchers say that the government support packages going forward are “heavily geared towards the young.” The Daily Telegraph

6. A third of adults unjabbed. Up to a third of adults in some London boroughs had still not had their first jab by the start of August. According to an analysis of NHS England figures, four of the five local authorities with the lowest take-up rates are in London: in Westminster and Camden only two-thirds of adults had been vaccinated by 1 August; in Islington the figure was 73%, while in Hackney and the City of London, it was 74%. The Guardian

7. Winchester leapfrogs Oxford. Winchester is the least affordable city in which to buy a home, according to a new survey. Data from Halifax found that a home in the Hampshire commuter city will cost 14 times the average earnings, higher than Greater London at 11 times earnings. This means Winchester has leapfrogged Oxford to become the least affordable city in the annual survey, while Derry is the most affordable for the third year in a row. BBC

8. Earth’s hottest month ever. In July, the Earth experienced the hottest average temperatures on record. The planet was 0.93 degrees Celsius warmer than the average temperature of all Julys in the 20th century, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The soaring temperatures have been met with extreme weather events across the globe, including drought, wildfires and severe storms. And without intervention, we can expect more severe weather in the years to come, according to a new report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Independent

9. Spread not related to metabolism. New research has found that middle-aged spread cannot be blamed on a waning metabolism. The study of 6,400 people from eight days old up to the age of 95 found that metabolism remains “rock solid” throughout middle age: it peaks at the age of one, is stable from 20 to 60 and then declines. “If you are experiencing mid-life spread you can no longer blame it on a declining metabolic rate,” said one of the researchers, Professor John Speakman of the University of Aberdeen. BBC

10. The bottom line. TikTok overtook Facebook Messenger to become the most downloaded app in 2020. The Chinese video-sharing platform was the only app in the top five not owned by Facebook. BBC