Labour responds to ONS Labour market statistics

Jonathan Reynolds MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, commenting on the latest ONS Labour market statistics, said:

“Unemployment is persistently high yet the Government’s programmes to get people back into work are still not up and running. These figures show more than half of the people losing their employment were under-25 but the Conservative’s struggling Kickstart scheme has created just 6,000 jobs.

“Those who have lost their jobs deserve so much better – Labour’s ‘Jobs Promise’ would guarantee young people out of work for six months a training or job placement and make sure no one is left out of work for more than a year.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Of the 813,000 decrease in payrolled employees between March 2020 and March 2021, 436,000 (53.7%) were younger than 25

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/employmentintheuk/april2021

• Kickstart has created just 6,000 jobs, at the current rate of roll out the Government will not reach their target until 2043

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-kickstart-jobs-scheme-would-23921444