PwC UK Hiring More Grads, Despite Economic Challenges

0:00On March 13, PWC's UK leader, Marco Amitrano, announced plans to hire more graduates next year after scaling back last year due to a weak economy, not artificial intelligence. The firm cut new roles from 1,500 to 1,300, but now expects to ramp up as business picks up. Earlier this week in a BBC interview, Amitrano described fresh recruits as eager and office-ready, countering stereotypes of younger workers as, fragile or remote, obsessed. He noted fierce competition, with 60,000 applications for just 2,000 entry-level spots of 35% from before, young people faced tough times with unemployment for 16 to 24-year-olds hitting a 10-year high and nearly 1 million in that group out, of work or school. Still, Amitrano Champions University for building life skills beyond grades, drawn from his own engineering degree. He blamed recent shocks like the US Israel, Iran conflict, higher national insurance, minimum

1:01wage hikes, and new labor rules for denting hiring, confidence, Amitrano urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to ease fiscal rules on borrowing to boost spending on tech, talent, and infrastructure. The Treasury insists its plan is solid, with debt already falling while prioritizing growth investments, setting the stage for ongoing talks between business and government.