Ministers must extend furlough in line with restrictions, says TUC

17 Jun 2021 11:23 AM

 

Commenting on the new ONS employment figures, with payroll data showing employee jobs still down by 550,000, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady recently said: 

“While it’s good that people are returning to work as parts of the economy re-open, the recovery has a long way to go. Payrolled employment is still down by over half a million.   

“And while we’ve regained more than two in five of the jobs lost at the peak of the crisis, we’ve only recovered 54,000 of the 242,000 jobs lost in London, and just 40,000 of the 135,000 jobs gone in the south east. 

“In many industries employment is still well down. Manufacturing jobs are down by 105,000, jobs in arts and entertainment have fallen by 110,000, and roles in accommodation and food services are down by 350,000. And three million people are still on furlough. 

“Last night’s announcement means many workers and businesses will need more help – especially in the arts and hospitality sectors. Ministers must step up and provide targeted support for these industries. We can't afford for more companies to go the wall, taking good jobs with them. 

“Government must delay asking businesses to make contributions to the furlough scheme in July and extend the scheme as long as needed.” 

Editors Note