Share schemes feel the squeeze

Employee participation in share ownership schemes has fallen to a 16-year low, according to figures from accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.The number of UK employees receiving share options in save-as-you-earn (SAYE) schemes was 520,000 last year, the lowest figure since 1993-94. This is 60 per cent lower than the peak in 2001-02, when 1.3 million employees participated.