Office for National Statistics figures released today show that the UK unemployment rate has risen to 4.5%, and the Claimant Count has risen 120% since March to more than 2.7 million.
Development Manager for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Nicola Bailey, said,
“These figures are a stark reminder of the human impact of this terrible pandemic. Through adjustments to the Job Support Scheme, the Government is making welcome efforts to aid job retention. As harsher restrictions take effect across many parts of England, further measures may well be needed.
“As our economy is changed for the long-term, policymakers should start looking at additional interventions to aid job creation. The new Kickstart and Job Entry Targeted Support initiatives, taken alongside incentives to hire apprentices, mark critical steps forward.”
Bailey: We have to throw as many lifelines as possible
She went on to say,
“From here, we need to see the Government bringing down the upfront costs of employment across the board in order to stimulate hiring activity – starting with Employer National Insurance Contributions, which serve as a stifling jobs tax.
“Policymakers should also recognise the fundamental role that start-ups and the self-employed played in our recovery from the last recession. If we want them to play that role again, we have to throw them as many lifelines as possible. Too many have been excluded from support measures – including company directors and the newly self-employed – that needs to change.
“Equally, we need to look at how we encourage more of those currently out of work to strike out on their own. A Kickstart Start-Up initiative, modelled on the Kickstart scheme, for those looking to start their own firm could mark one way forward, building on the success of the New Enterprise Allowance and Start-Up Loan programmes.”
News shared by Nicola on behalf of FSB. Ed
Image: Danielle MacInnes under CC BY 2.0
