National media opportunity: Jobs data tomorrow AM

ended 19. April 2021

Tomorrow morning at the sparrow's fart (7am), the Office for National Statistics is publishing the latest jobs data. In short, it will tell us whether unemployment is rising or falling, or staying much the same.

We want your views on what you're seeing in the jobs market, e.g.

  • Has confidence among employers picked up?
  • What's happening on the ground?
  • Is the true state of the jobs market being hidden by the furlough scheme?
  • Are businesses more bullish than they were a few months ago, or battening down the hatches for when the various Government support measures come to an end?

Just a paragraph or two will do. Try to make your comments short and punchy. A packet of Monster Munch and a can of scrumpy for whoever writes the best soundbite!

Please select yourself as an expert before you publish your response or we can't use your comments!

1 responses from the Newspage community

Legend
Sarah Loates
Director at Loates HR Consultancy
"While the official data issued Tuesday shows a further increase in unemployment, there's nevertheless an underlying optimism among UK businesses. "Many of the businesses we work with are chomping at the bit to get their employees back into the workplace, clearly subject to ongoing COVID restrictions. "Businesses like to plan, and following the Prime Minister's roadmap to recovery, we have seen a marked increase in investment, recruitment activity and business confidence. "Many SMEs that undertook pre-emptive redundancies prior to the October 2020 furlough extension are now actively recruiting. "Though there's increased positivity on the ground, let's not forget that many hospitality, retail, leisure and entertainment businesses are running on fumes, especially in terms of reserves and therefore cashflow. "Business in the hardest hit sectors of the economy will need strong sales and margins to carry them through to the end of furlough. "Many businesses have been proactively taking steps to reduce their cost base to avoid the need for redundancies. "They're typically doing this by varying terms and conditions and reducing overall employee benefits. Expect to see this continue as a theme, as businesses adapt to survive. "Government data suggest that around 2 in 5 businesses are still utilising furlough, although many businesses are segueing from full furlough to flexi-furlough in an attempt to wean their employees off furlough."