Second local lockdown could cost London more than £2bn September 21, 2020 London could face annual costs of more than £2bn if fresh curfew measures are implemented in the capital, according to a new report. Leading think tank the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) today warned that 10pm curfews introduced elsewhere in the UK could reverse the country’s economic recovery if slapped on London venues. [...]
Rishi Sunak considers slashing welfare and public sector pay September 20, 2020 Rishi Sunak is reportedly planning on freezng benefits and public sector pay as a part of a bid to offset the Treasury’s coronavirus spending. The government has spent around £190bn in emergency Covid-19 funding, which has put this year’s budget deficit at an estimated £350bn – 12-times higher than pre-crisis expectations. Media speculation has been [...]
Around 5m workers were furloughed in July amid uneven recovery September 18, 2020 As many as 5.3m people remained on the furlough scheme at the end of the July, although almost a million returned to their jobs on a part-time basis, the latest figures from HMRC showed. The furlough scheme became flexible in July, meaning businesses could bring employees back part-time. The government paid 80 per cent of [...]
Business groups urge chancellor to unveil autumn Budget policies early September 18, 2020 Business lobby groups have urged chancellor Rishi Sunak to make early announcements on the upcoming autumn Budget, in a move to quell fears over the current economic uncertainty. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to deliver the Budget in November, though reports last week suggested the announcement could be pushed back to spring 2021 if the UK [...]
Almost half of firms plan to cut or stop hiring amid pandemic September 18, 2020 Almost half of UK firms expect to reduce recruitment or stop hiring new employees altogether over the coming year as they adjust to life during the coronavirus pandemic, a survey has found. The latest CBI/Pertemps employment trends survey said a “two-speed” job market had emerged. It found 46 per cent of firms were looking to [...]
Rishi Sunak’s Kickstart scheme can help blunt the impending youth unemployment crisis September 18, 2020 This week’s unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics paint a gloomy picture for Britain’s young people. In the UK those aged 16 to 24 have been hit hardest by job losses since the economy locked down. There were 156,000 fewer young people in employment in the three months to July when compared with [...]
David Cameron: Too early to consider fixing the UK’s budget deficit September 17, 2020 David Cameron has said the UK economy will need “generous help to reopen” and that Rishi Sunak should not consider measures to fix the budget deficit until an economic recovery is well under way. The former prime minister told Times Radio that “we’re going to have to think about fixing the roof again when the [...]
Boris Johnson signals that targeted furlough extension is on the cards September 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has given the clearest indication yet that the government is considering extending the furlough scheme for some sectors beyond next month. When asked about an extension of the scheme for sectors unable to function due to coronavirus restrictions, the Prime Minister said today that that the government “will continue to show great creativity [...]
Exclusive: London employment levels will not recover until 2023, says new analysis September 16, 2020 Levels of employment in London will not reach pre-coronavirus levels until 2023 at the earliest, according to new figures from City Hall. The Greater London Authority’s latest macroeconomic analysis, seen by City A.M., shows that London unemployment is expected to rise by 5.5 per cent by next year. The figures show that the capital’s economy, [...]
Rishi Sunak hints at potential targeted furlough scheme extension September 15, 2020 Rishi Sunak has assured MPs that he will be “creative” in protecting jobs after the furlough scheme ends, potentially hinting at a limited extension of the emergency measure. When asked if he would provide sector specific sectoral support after the end of the furlough scheme next month, the chancellor said he had “not hesitated to [...]