Consumer confidence tumbles ahead of Budget

Consumer confidence tumbles ahead of Budget

Getty Images A long-running measure of how consumers feel about their finances and the economy has fallen sharply, raising concerns that the government’s warning that the Budget will be “painful” has shaken people’s confidence. GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer has tumbled further into negative territory since the end of August. The index had been recovering after … Read more

Construction giant collapse sees 2,200 jobs cut

Construction giant collapse sees 2,200 jobs cut

Getty Images Thousands of people have lost their jobs after the UK operations of the international construction giant ISG collapsed into administration. Some 2,200 workers have been made redundant with immediate effect, joint administrators EY said in a statement on Friday. The business, owned by the US firm Cathexis, had been struggling financially for some … Read more

High insulin prices spur a federal lawsuit against three pharmacy benefit managers

High insulin prices spur a federal lawsuit against three pharmacy benefit managers

The federal government is suing some big pharmacy benefit managers over a system of drug rebates that regulators say has made the price of insulin soar for diabetic patients. Three companies that process about 80% of prescriptions in the United States — Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx — have engaged in anticompetitive practices that spur … Read more