The number of Olympics-related jobs being advertised has increased significantly in recent weeks, with vacancies for work ranging from security to catering.

Adecco, the official recruiter for the London Games this summer, said there had also been a big rise in the number of jobseekers applying for the posts.

Mothers returning to work part-time after having children are being forced to take lower skilled jobs, new research suggests.

A study found that 44% of British mothers who go back to work part-time feel as though they were forced to take lower skilled jobs than they would have if they worked full-time.

Tax cheats working in the building and construction industries will be targeted in a new crackdown this year.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the clampdown will put several hundred thousand tradespeople under the spotlight, such as roofers, window fitters, bricklayers, carpenters and joiners.

Further quantitative easing (QE) is likely to spell bad news for people set to retire this year, analysts have warned.

Those planning to buy an annuity, which sets the size of their pension for life, were advised to "get on with it", with downward pressures on rates expected to continue in 2012.

The Bank of England is expected to unleash another multi-billion round of emergency support for the UK economy on Thursday despite signs that the UK's financial health may be starting to improve.

The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is forecast to increase its quantitative easing (QE) programme by £50 billion to £325 billion in a bid to stave off a recession, while it will also hold interest rates at record lows of 0.5%.

HomeServe is to cut 200 jobs after admitting it was taking longer than expected to recover from accusations that it mis-sold policies.

The firm, which last year insured three million people in the UK against burst pipes, broken down boilers and electrical problems, stopped making outbound sales calls in October and retrained staff after a review into whether its pricing policies were clear.

The Government has pledged to clear a backlog of cases involving claims for incapacity benefit payments after admitting that new claims had fallen behind.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said the backlog was temporary and would be cleared by the French firm dealing with the cases.

Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester has admitted he had "underestimated" the furore his £1 million bonus would cause.

Mr Hester, chief executive of the 83% state-owned bank, disclosed that he had considered resigning amid the political storm. But he said he believed it was essential to defuse the "timebomb" of the bank's balance sheet for the benefit of the taxpayer.

Competition in the Junior Isa market has increased as Lloyds TSB announced a new deal and urged the Government to open up the accounts to parents who already hold Child Trust Funds (CTFs).

Lloyds TSB is one of the best-known names yet to launch such an account, and its Junior Cash Isa will be available from February 13 at a tax-free flat rate of 3% AER.

Nearly four in 10 people know the balance of their current account to the nearest £5, as the squeeze on finances and the rise in internet banking has bred a "generation of compulsive bank balance checkers", research has found.

People become cash-strapped 17 days after payday on average, but one in 10 consumers said their finances come under pressure within a week of receiving their monthly salary, Halifax's survey said.