Taxpayers in the UK lost close to two billion pounds last year through unnecessary inheritance tax (IHT) payments, it has emerged.

Official figures show that unemployment increased to 1.92 million in the three months to November 2008.

The recession will have more effect on female employees than male, according to the Trades Union Council (TUC).

Employees who are on long-term sick leave are still entitled to take days off that they have accrued while on their sick bed, the European Union high court has ruled.

An industry specialist has said that the current property market represents the perfect opportunity for buyers.

Landlords may face having to deal with tenants trying to negotiate over rental prices in the current macroeconomic climate, it has been suggested.

It has been claimed that the first few months of 2009 will be a great time for people looking to buy a country house.

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said that over half of its members made redundancies in the last three months of 2008.

A leading charity has suggested that older workers in the UK face discrimination when it comes to keeping their jobs in the recession.

An expert has claimed that those looking to buy a house in the current economic environment could benefit from the government's HomeBuy plan.