Jonathan Reynolds – 2021 Comments on ONS Labour Market Statistics

The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 18 May 2021.

While it is encouraging to see businesses reopen with the easing of restrictions, long term unemployment is rising at its fastest rate in over a decade. Young people continue to bear the brunt of the crisis with over half of the fall in employees being under 25, yet the Government’s Kickstart scheme has provided opportunities for just 1 in 25 young people.

If our economy is to emerge stronger from this pandemic we cannot allow a generation to be scarred by unemployment. Labour’s jobs promise would provide a job or training opportunity for any young person away from work or education for six months and ensure no one is away from work for more than a year.