Karen Millen shop in London. The firm is now part of the newly formed group Aurora Fashions owned by Kaupthing. Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian The fashion chains Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse, which became entangled in the failure of Icelandic group Baugur, have reported improving sales under their new owner. The newly [...]

Karen Millen shop in London. The firm is now part of the newly formed group Aurora Fashions owned by Kaupthing. Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian The fashion chains Oasis, Karen Millen, Coast and Warehouse, which became entangled in the failure of Icelandic group Baugur, have reported improving sales under their new owner. The newly [...]

Bricklayers working in Hatfield. The construction industry took a big hit from the recession and expects the outlook to get tougher. Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian It was a bright, sunny day when 19 senior executives, each representing one of the government’s biggest suppliers, trooped into Admiralty House off Whitehall to meet the Cabinet [...]

Hundreds of people looking for employment wait in line at an over-50s job fair in New York in April. US joblessness now stands at 9.5% and one in six are believed to be under-employed. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images A crippled housing market. Stubbornly high levels of unemployment. Falling consumer confidence. Slower growth in industrial production. [...]